Dance to the Music, Sequist Earn Debut Scores

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.

Del Mar

Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal's Dance to the Music  made a successful debut, leading wire to wire in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden test for 2-year-old fillies July 24 at Del Mar. Among the field of eight was first-time starter Mirasol , a daughter of the late Arrogate and Justwhistledixie , dam of four graded stakes winners including sires New Year's Day  and Mohaymen  .

The owners bought Dance to the Music for $575,000 from Paul Sharp's consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The Maclean's Music   filly is trained by Mark Glatt and was ridden to victory by Abel Cedillo.

After speeding to the front in Saturday's race, Dance to the Music set fractions of :22.19, :45.87, and :58.07 through five furlongs while maintaining about a one-length lead. She opened up in the stretch to finish in a final time of 1:04.44 on a fast track, winning by 4 3/4 lengths. Mirasol finished third, three-quarters of a length behind runner-up Bicameral .

Bred by George Krikorian, Dance to the Music is out of the unraced Congrats   mare Beautified. Her second dam is graded stakes winner Makeup Artist  and her third dam is Belgian champion Deux Anes.

Indiana Grand

At the start of the week, Three Chimneys Farm homebred Royal Connection  made a drive to the wire to win by 3 3/4 lengths in his second start, taking a one-mile maiden special weight at Indiana Grand.

The 2-year-old son of Connect   was ridden by Francisco Arrieta, settling early on in midpack of the seven-horse field. The pair rallied four wide at the sixteenth pole, brushed with runner-up Ginnsu Warrior , and then pulled clear under steady urging in a final time of 1:40.66 on a fast track.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Royal Connection finished seventh in his June 11 debut at Churchill Downs. Out of Touch the Moon (by Malibu Moon  ), the colt is a half brother to grade 3 winner Royal Approval .

Colonial Downs

Trainer Dallas Stewart sent Sequist  out to a successful debut July 20 at Colonial Downs. The Nyquist   filly, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and several other partners including Stewart, won the five-furlong maiden race by a length despite being bumped at the start.

Ridden by Colby Hernandez, Sequist raced in sixth early off fractions of :22.11 and :45.60 while racing three wide. She swept out even wider in the upper stretch, outrunning the leaders to win in a final time of :58 flat.

Bred by Clearsky Farms, Sequist is the first foal out of the Peruvian group 1-winning mare Secret Garden (Flanders Fields). Stewart and West Point purchased Sequist for $100,000 from the breeder at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale.