Pricey Shinnecock Hills Wins Debut at Tampa Bay

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.

Tampa Bay

Trainer Todd Pletcher continues his reign over maiden races in southern Florida as Shinnecock Hills  rallied late just to get a nose in front of another Pletcher trainee, Macallan , in a seven-furlong maiden race for 3-year-olds Jan. 14 at Tampa Bay Downs.

Shinnecock Hills, making his debut for owners WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and Siena Farm, was a $600,000 weanling purchase at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale where he was consigned by St George Sales. The Quality Road   colt, out of the unraced Birdstone  mare Princess Aspen, was ridden to victory by Pablo Morales.

As fractions up front went in :22.47 and :46.64 for the first half-mile, Shinnecock Hills settled in a group of horses that lagged about six lengths behind the first group. Rounding the turn for home, Morales asked Shinnecock Hills for his run, and the colt moved into fourth coming into the stretch. The pair took aim at the leader and rallied to nab the win in a final time of 1:25.70 on a fast track.

Bred by Dell Ridge Farm, Shinnecock Hills second dam, Rhumb Line also produced grade 1 winner Zazu  and grade 2 winner Flashback , who was also runner-up in the 2013 Santa Anita Derby (G1).

Sam Houston

Stonestreet Stables' Aurelia Paulina  was successful in her debut, taking a one-mile maiden test Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park.

Under jockey Stewart Elliot, the Steve Asmussen trainee stalked the pace in second through fractions of :23.76, :49.55, and 1:16.28 for six furlongs. She took over the lead in the stretch and held a one-length lead at the wire to finish in 1:42.34 on the fast track.

Bred by her owners, the Medaglia d'Oro   filly is the second winner from two foals to race out of the champion My Miss Aurelia , who counts the 2011 Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) among her top-level victories. The mare also finished second in the following year's Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1).

Aqueduct

Godolphin homebred Early Glow  took down a field of six other 3-year-old fillies going one mile Friday in her third start for trainer Bill Mott at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Another Medaglia d'Oro filly, Early Glow broke inward and bumped a rival under Jose Lezcano but quickly recovered to take over the lead. She set leisurely fractions of :50.36, and 1:17.92 through the first six furlongs before speeding up a bit to finish 6 3/4 lengths ahead in a final time of 1:44.55 on a fast track.

Early Glow is out of the Elusive Quality mare Shuruq , who won multiple group stakes while racing in Dubai. Her best victory came in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1 Sponsored by Longines (G2) and she placed sixth in her only start in North America, the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) in 2014.

Gulfstream

Mill Ridge Farm's Moms Moon  found the winner's circle Saturday in his second start for trainer George Arnold. The Kitten's Joy   gelding went wire to wire in a maiden test at about one mile on the Gulfstream Park turf course.

Ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, Moms Moon raced along the rail and set fractions of :25.16, :49.60, and 1:13.70 through six furlongs. In the stretch, La Maquina  made a bid at the leader, coming within a head, but Moms Moon hung on gamely to win by a neck in a final time of 1:37.77 on the course labeled good.

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In his first start, Moms Moon finished ninth after breaking twelth and last at Turfway Park.

Bred by P. Headley, Nancy Bell, and NATO, Moms Moon is out of the Consolidator  mare Sweet Assay. Moms Moon is a half brother to grade 3 winner Analyze It , who finished runner-up in the 2018 Secretariat Stakes (G1T) and Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) and third in that year's Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).