Rockefeller, Hail To Among First-Out 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.

Del Mar

Bob Baffert-trained Rockefeller  won his debut Aug. 28, when he led most of the way in a six-furlong test for 2-year-olds and pulled away to a 2 1/4-length victory at Del Mar.

Under jockey Abel Cedillo, Rockefeller had to play catch-up in the first quarter-mile, but he had the lead by a head in :22.02. He then only continued to put distance between himself and the eight others in the field stopping the clock in :45.19 for the half-mile and :57.90 for five furlongs. The son of Medgalia d'Oro led by five lengths in the stretch, but as he finished in 1:11.18 on the fast track, Pec Tacular  closed to cut into that lead.

Rockefeller was purchased by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables for $750,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is now campaigned by an ownership group that consists of the original partners plus seven others.

Bred by Colts Neck Stables, Rockefeller is out of the Speightstown   mare Dance to Bristol, winner of the 2013 Ballerina Stakes (G1). His third dam, multiple graded stakes winner Expressive Dance, a half sister to grade 1 winner and sire General Assembly, is the dam of grade 1 winner and sire Chief Honcho and the granddam of grade 1 winner and sire Poet's Voice, among multiple other black-type winners.

Woodbine

Charles Fipke's homebred Ready Lady  also won her debut Saturday, taking a seven-furlong turf test for 2 year-old fillies at Woodbine.

The More Than Ready   filly, a half sister to Natalma Stakes (G1T) winner Lady Speightspeare , was ridden to a half-length score by Antonio Gallardo.

Though the Kevin Attard trainee quickly found herself on the lead, Gallardo let two others pass and settled her behind the leaders and didn't make a move until inside the three-sixteenths pole. Ready Lady found a seam through horses and responded to move up to second in the stretch and lead at the sixteenth pole.

Ready Lady finished the distance in 1:22.45 on a firm turf course.

Out of another Fipke homebred, the Theatrical mare Lady Shakespeare, Ready Lady's female line traces to the Ogden Phipps homebred 1961 broodmare of the year Striking. Her second dam is grade 1 winner Lady Shirl.

Saratoga

Five maidens of note earned their stripe this week at Saratoga Race Course. Hail To  won her debut Sunday, defeating a field of eight other fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf for trainer Tom Albertrani.

The full sister to grade 1 winner and sire Sadler's Joy  raced off the pace in fifth under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. Still third in the stretch, Hail To found a path between horses and emerged in front in the final furlong. She completed the distance in 1:43.35 on the firm course, three-quarters of a length in front.

Bred by her owner Woodslane Farm, the Kitten's Joy   filly is out of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire who has produced seven winners, including stakes-placed Lunaire , Dyna Passer , and Wolfie's Dynaghost .

Klaravich Stables Gerrymander  also won Sunday, taking a six-furlong maiden race in her second start by a half-length.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Joel Rosario, Gerrymander raced in fourth early, moved up to third after a half-mile went in :45.80, and took a clear lead in the stretch. The Into Mischief filly dug in when threatened by the late closers to finish in a final time of 1:11.30 on the fast track.

Bred by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, Gerrymander is out of the Hard Spun   mare Ruby Lips who produced grade 2 winner Lone Rock.

Ellis Park

Ike and Dawn Thrash's Maxine Machine  scored a 1 1/2-length victory in her first start in a one-mile turf test Sunday at Ellis Park. The Pioneerof the Nile filly is trained by Brad Cox.

Maxine Machine was out of the gate last of seven, and moved up to settle in fifth for the early stages. Jockey Martin Garcia guided Maxine Machine inside the leaders in upper stretch, switched to the outside to get by Delightful Moment , and took over to win in the final strides in a time of 1:37.46 on firm turf.

Bred by Narola, Maxine Machine is third foal to race out of the grade 1-winning Congrats   mare Emma's Encore.

*win awarded by disqualification