So Determined Highlights Maiden Winners at Gulfstream

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.

Gulfstream

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable were repaid a portion of the $875,000 they put up to purchase So Determined  when the 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief   won his second start Nov. 14 at Gulfstream Park.

So Determined, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden to victory by Edgard Zayas, was fourth early on and made steady progress through the 5 1/2-furlong maiden race. The favorite pulled clear to a 4 1/2-length margin at the wire to finish in 1:05.27 on a fast track.

In his first start Oct 2, So Determined finished second after breaking slowly which caused him to be far back early. He finished strong despite racing greenly through the stretch.

Bred by Loren Nichols in Florida, So Determined is out of the unraced Tiznow  mare Mimi's Tiz. His second dam is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Custom for Carlos  . The colt was bought from the Gainesway consignment to the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

On Nov. 12, Alittleloveandluck  won her fourth start for owner Michael Dini, who also trains the 2-year-old Arrogate  filly.

After racing up north at Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park, and Parx Racing, where she had her best finish coming in third, Alittleloveandluck was able to get a nose on the wire first in a one-mile-and-70-yard test on the synthetic track at Gulfstream.

Ridden by Paco Lopez, she was third through the first six furlongs, but was guided four wide and gained a short lead in the stretch. She then dueled to the wire, stopping the clock in 1:42.52.

Bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbazon, Alittleloveandluck is out of the Point Given mare Points of Grace, who is also the dam of grade 1 winner Victory to Victory .

Aqueduct

Augustin Stable's Kitten Mischief  won his debut Friday at Aqueduct Racetrack, taking a one-mile dirt test that was originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Trained by Jonathan Thomas, Kitten Mischief was kept near the leader by jockey John Velazquez as a quarter-mile went in :23.30 and a half-mile went in :47.64. The gelded 2-year-old son of Into Mischief took over with three furlongs to race, dueling to the finish where he had a neck in front to stop the clock in 1:38.73 on the muddy, sealed track.

Bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge Jr., Kitten Mischief is the third foal out of the graded stakes-winning Kitten's Joy   mare Kitten's Point , who finished third in the 2013 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1).

The following day Chanceux  broke his maiden at Aqueduct in just his second try. The Speightstown   colt, trained by Pletcher for Harrell Ventures, defeated a field of seven other 2-year-olds going six furlongs on firm turf.

Chanceux, guided by Irad Ortiz Jr. led wire to wire, finishing two lengths ahead in a final time of 1:09:71.

Bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock, Chanceux is out of the grade 1-winning mare Rosalind  (by Broken Vow), and went through the same sales ring as So Determined but was unsold on a final bid of $325,000.

On Nov. 11 at Aqueduct, Gun Boat  earned her first win for owner-breeder Stuart Janney III. Trained by Shug McGaughey, Gun Boat won the six-furlong test on the turf in wire-to-wire fashion, holding on by a neck at the wire.

The 2-year-old daughter of War Front   is out of the graded stakes-winning mare Onus  (Blame  ).

Indiana Grand

Calumet Farm homebred Bodock  won his debut Nov. 10 at Indiana Grand. The Street Boss   colt took down a field of six other 2-year-olds in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race.

Bodock, trained by Brad Cox, was ridden to victory by Emmanuel Esquivel, coming from fourth in the stretch to duel with the leader and edge to a three-quarter-length win in a final time of 1:05.77 on a fast track.

Bodock is out of the A.P. Indy  mare Floating Island, making him a full brother to graded stakes winner Hence , who earned $935,731 during his racing career.