Hit Show, Arabian Lion Impress in Debuts

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.

Keeneland

Gary and Mary West's homebred Hit Show  provided some entertainment for Keeneland's opening weekend, darting off to a 5 1/4-length victory in his first start Oct. 9.

The Candy Ride   colt, out of grade 2 winner Actress, is trained by Brad Cox and had his last three timed workouts at the trainer's home track of Churchill Downs. Hit Show most recently went five furlongs in 1:00 flat a week before making his debut in Sunday's seven-furlong maiden special weight.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Hit Show bumped a rival at the start and was shuffled back to seventh in the 10-horse field. Fifth by a head as a half-mile went in :47.17, Hit Show bided his time around the turn and then split horses in upper stretch before galloping clear to win in a final time of 1:25.80 on a fast track.

Hit Show is the second foal to race out of the Wests' homebred mare Actress (by Tapit  ). His second dam is the grade 1-placed millionaire Milwaukee Appeal.

Two days prior, Dede McGehee's Welaka  broke his maiden in his third start for trainer Kelsey Danner at Keeneland. The Malibu Moon  colt had finished second in his Aug. 10 debut at Colonial Downs and then finished off the board in a Sept. 16 maiden race at Churchill.

Ridden by Adam Beschizza in Friday's six-furlong test for juveniles, Welaka vied for the lead and set fractions of :22.86, :46.38, and :58.79 through five furlongs. He held on for a three-quarter-length win in a final time of 1:11.91 on a fast track.

Bred by McGehee's Heaven Trees Farm, Welaka is out of the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up and Delaware Oaks (G2) winner St. John's River  (Include ), who was also homebred for McGehee and a full sister to grade 1 winner Panty Raid .

Gulfstream Park

St. George Stable's homebred Prudencio  won his fourth start by three-quarters of a length for trainer Fausto Gutierrez at Gulfstream Park. The Arrogate  colt is a half brother to champion Letruska  (Super Saver  ).

Prudencio grabbed the lead shortly after leading the gate and set fractions of :23.76, :48.38, and 1:12.76 through six furlongs. He was confronted by Suerte  on the turn but responded when roused and held on gamely to finish the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.51 on the all-weather track.

 In his previous three starts, Prudencio finished third or fourth while sprinting distances from 5 1/2 furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.

Prudencio is out of the Successful Appeal  mare Magic Appeal , who also produced Trigger Warning , the 2018 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) third-place finisher.

Santa Anita Park

Arabian Lion  won his debut in wire-to-wire fashion for owner Zedan Racing Stables and trainer Bob Baffert Sunday at Santa Anita Park. The Justify   colt was purchased for $600,000 from the Hidden Brook consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds.

The two favoirtes #6 Arabian Lion and the #5 Elwood Blues finish one two and dominate Race #6 at Santa Anita. Both horses were by Justify (@coolmorestud). Watch the rest of the card @fandueltv and wager at https://t.co/nBYFHj6ufh pic.twitter.com/ze515Sq0sY

— TVG (@TVG) October 9, 2022

Ridden by Ramon Vazquez, Arabian Lion set splits of :21.96, :44.90, and :57.36 through five furlongs before widening his final margin of victory to three lengths and stopping the clock in the six-furlong maiden race in 1:09.78 on a fast main track.

Prior to making his debut, Arabian Lion had posted three consecutive bullet works at Santa Anita. In his most recent timed outing on Oct. 2, he covered five furlongs in :58 4/5 to be the fastest of 59 going that distance that day.

Bred by Bonne Chance Farm, Arabian Lion is out of the Distorted Humor  mare Unbound . His third dam is Hall of Fame racemare Personal Ensign.