Dripping Gold, McKulick Among Debut Winners at Saratoga

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.

Saratoga

Racing at Saratoga Race Course is known for being some of the most challenging, so winning a debut at the famed track is always noteworthy. This past week, Dripping Gold  was among those to do just that, taking a 1 1/16-mile turf test for maiden 2-year-olds by 2 1/4 lengths Aug. 7.

Trained by Shug McGaughey for West Point Thoroughbreds, John Ballantyne, and Titletown Racing Stables, the son of Lemon Drop Kid   was ridden to victory by Jose Lezcano. Bumped around at the start, Dripping Gold was second as the first quarter-mile went in :23.22 and fourth after a half-mile in :48.21. In the end, the colt moved up, edged clear, and drove to the wire to win in a final time of 1:44.28 on firm turf.

Bred by Alexander-Groves Thoroughbreds, Dripping Gold is out of the Danzig  mare Aurelia, who has also produced multiple graded stakes winner Aurelia's Belle . Dripping Gold's third dam is Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee. The colt sold to West Point for $300,000 out of Woodford Thoroughbreds' consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Joel Politi's Take the Backroads  won her third start Aug. 4 at the New York oval after finishing third at Churchill Downs in June and second July 21 at Saratoga. The Will Take Charge   filly, trained by Tom Amoss, won the 5 1/2-furlong maiden race by 4 3/4 lengths.

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Take the Backroads went wire to wire, setting fractions of :21.83, :45.48, and :57.74 through five furlongs and wrapped up the distance in 1:04.31 on firm turf.

Bred by E. H. Beau Lane III, Take the Backroads is out of the Bernstein mare Berncredit, who also produced grade 3 winner Sistas Stroll .

On Aug. 8, Chad Brown trainee McKulick  won her debut at the Spa, taking a 1 1/16 turf test by 1 1/2 lengths over stablemate Consumer Spending .

McKulick, a British-bred Frankel  filly, was ridden from off the pace in midpack by Irad Ortiz Jr. She completed the distance in 1:42.60 on a firm course.

Owned by Klaravich Stables and bred by Essafinaat UK, McKulick is a half sister to German group 2 stakes winner Fearless King  and British stakes winner Just Beautiful .

At odds of 36-1, Dream Lith  followed suit to win her debut Sunday by 2 1/4 lengths.

The Medaglia d'Oro   filly trained by Robertino Diodoro for Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith, was forwardly placed on the outside by David Cohen in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden test. Coming off the turn there were four across the track vying for the lead, but Dream Lith powered ahead to win in a final time of 1:17.72 on the fast track.

Bred by Southern Equine Stables out of the Street Cry mare Elle Sueno, Dream Lith went unsold on a final bid of $590,000 last fall at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected breeding stock sale in Kentucky.

Ellis

Trainer Cherie DeVaux sent out Tarabi  to a successful debut Saturday in a tough maiden special weight race at Ellis Park. The First Samurai   filly outran a field of nine other 2-year-old fillies and finished 5 1/2 lengths in front of Blamethechampagne , a half sister to grade 3 winner Beyond Blame .

Tarabi, ridden to victory by Colby Hernandez, was third as the first quarter-mile went in :22.73, but had a head in front as a half-mile went in :46.31. Tarabi drew off late in the stretch for owners LBD Stable, Manganaro Bloodstock, and David Ingordo.

Bred by Hinkle Farms, Tarabi is out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Bay, who has also produced this year's winner of Japan's Silk Road Stakes (G3), Shivaji, who sold to Kanayama Holdings for $540,000 at the 2017 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training when consigned by Grassroots Training & Sales.

On Sunday, Godolphin homebred Baladi  ran off to a 5 1/2-length win in a six-furlong maiden test at Ellis Park for trainer Brendan Walsh.

The Pioneerof the Nile colt was second as a quarter-mile went in :23.55, but he carried James Graham to the front shortly after and had a head in front as the half went in :46.75. Baladi drew off in the stretch, finishing up in 1:10.87 on a fast track.

The colt is the second runner out of the grade 2-winning Tapit   mare Dancing House , who was third in the 2013 Spinaway Stakes (G1).

Del Mar

Nick Alexander's homebred Connie Swingle  made an impressive second start after finishing second beaten a half-length in her debut. The Grazen  filly, trained by Phil D'Amato, crushed a field of nine other California-bred 2-year-old fillies in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race Aug. 6 at Del Mar.

Ridden by Geovanni Franco in Friday's test, Connie Swingle stalked two leaders through opening fractions of :21.84, took over second place as four furlongs went in :45.62, and raced clear in the final furlong, opening up by 7 1/2 lengths at the wire. She completed the distance in 1:04.46 on a fast track.

Out of Alexander's mare Sky Marni, Connie Swingle is a full sister to Monrovia Stakes (G3) winner S Y Sky  and grade 3-placed stakes winner Grazen Sky . In her July 2 debut against Cal-breds at Los Alamitos Race Course, Connie Swingle was bumped at the start and raced greenly, but still made a solid bid in the stretch.