Full Brother to Classic Empire Among Maiden Winners

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Indiana Grand

A full brother to champion 2-year-old and Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Classic Empire   in the care of Rodolphe Brisset carved out a win in his third start. Winstar Farm and China Horse Club's Harvard  went wire-to-wire in a one-mile-and-70-yard maiden test May 12 at Indiana Grand.

Harvard, who finished second in both his previous starts, was ridden to victory by Chris Landeros. The pair set slow fractions of :25.70, :50.52, and 1:14.84 for six furlongs before pulling away in the stretch to win by 4 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:43.45 on a fast track.

The Pioneerof the Nile colt first raced Feb. 28 at Gulfstream Park, finishing second in the six-furlong test behind American Prince . In his next start, Harvard was the runner-up to Triple Crown winner Justify  's half brother Stage Raider , who ran off to a 10 3/4-length romp in the April 10 seven-furlong test at Keeneland.

Bred by China Horse Club International, Harvard is out of the Cat Thief mare Sambuca Classica.

Churchill Downs

A handful of maidens stood out this week at Churchill Downs. On May 14, Klaravich Stables' Southern District  won his third start for trainer Chad Brown, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden race for 3-year-olds and up by three lengths.

Southern District, a 3-year-old son of Union Rags   bred by Three Chimneys Farm, is out of the grade 2-winning Include   mare Open Water , who finished third in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) and Las Virgenes Stakes (G1). His third dam is champion Flanders, who herself produced grade 1 winner Surfside and grade 2 winner, grade 1-placed Battle Plan .

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Southern District stalked the pace from third, took over in the stretch, and drew off at the eighth pole to finish in 1:43.13 on a fast track.

The following day, another Brisset trainee made a successful debut in Churchill's third race. Demodog , a 3-year-old American Pharoah   filly, went gate-to-wire in a one-mile turf event that drew a field of 12 maiden fillies and mares.

Ridden by Landeros, Demodog maintained a one-length lead through most of the race and held off a late bid by Speightstown Shirl , a daughter of Speightstown   and 2011 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Perfect Shirl , to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.21 on a firm course.

Donato Lanni and John Youngblood's Demodog was bred by Lanni Bloodstock and Westport Management. Out of the unraced Theatrical  mare Turn the Tide, Demodog is a half sister to grade 2 winner Avanzare .

On May 16 at the Louisville track, two more maidens with graded stakes-winning siblings won their first races. First, Flurry Racing Stables and David Flannigan's Burrow  won his third start for trainer Brad Cox while going one mile on the grass.

The 3-year-old son of Candy Ride   went to the gate as the favorite in a field of 11 high-class turf maiden runners and under Florent Geroux, raced fifth and then fourth through six furlongs. He made his move heading into the stretch and rallied strongly for a half-length win in a final time of 1:35.99 on firm turf.

Out of the grade 2-winning Menifee mare Letgomyecho , Burrow is a half brother to grade 1 winner Echo Town   and grade 3 winner J Boys Echo , who both won on dirt. Burrow debuted in a 1 1/16-mile dirt test at Keeneland in October, finishing second, and then finished fifth the following month at Churchill at the same distance on dirt.

Later in the day during Race 9, Landeros again guided a winner across the wire on the turf course. This time it was Modern Science , an Irish-bred son of Galileo , who won his fourth start for trainer Ian Wilkes.

Lothenbach Stables' Modern Science, a half brother to group 2 winner and Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) third Besharah , made his first three starts as a 2-year-old last summer. With a third at Ellis Park and two runner-up finishes at Saratoga Race Course, the promising colt returned to the races nine months later to lead throughout and win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Outrunning a field of 11 other maidens, 3 and older, Modern Science completed the mile on firm turf in 1:35.85.

*Denotes 2-year-old