STARS IN THE MAKING



Churchill Downs 2024's second edition of the Stars of Tomorrow last Saturday November 30, 2024 was probably the strongest edition ever, in my opinion, producing several "Star in the Making" prospects.


First off, a filly named Book'em (in race 3) won a $100k optional claiming race very impressively against 8 other 2yo fillies.

The one-mile race had the track record listed as 1:33 1/5 and her final time of 1:34 1/5 is more than 2 seconds faster than the mile time for the Golden Rod Stakes which won by Good Cheer (:24.1 :48.3 1:12.2 1:36.4 1:43.1) and also more than 2 seconds faster than the Kentucky Jockey Club which won by Jonathan's Way (:24.2 :49.1 1:13.3 1:36.4 1:43 flat).

It's a fair conclusion to assume that if this race was run at the same distance as the two races above her final time would have been faster than Good Cheer's and Jonathan's Way's final times.

So clearly Book'em fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.


In race 5 a colt named Patch Adams came within 2/5 of a second of breaking the track record of 1:20 2/5 set by an older horse.

Patch Adams ran the seven-furlong $120k maiden special weight (purse $120k) race in 1:20 3/5, in an overflow field of 16 2yo colts, making 4 2yos as the also eligible horses.

In his previous and only start Patch Adams finished third in a $99k maiden special weight six-furlong race, beaten 1 1/2 lengths as the 4/5 favorite on October 11, 2024, at Keeneland.

In that race he showed speed from the outset to engage a couple of early fleet foot 2yos and took over the lead approaching the far turn while holding the lead to the top of the stretch when a new rival moved up to challenge for the lead.

He battled that rival gamely to the 16th pole and got tired late to finish third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths.

In the Saturday November 30's race the Brad Cox-trained juvenile again showed speed from the outset to press early rivals with fractions of 22.51 and 45.14 seconds while racing outside rivals, took over through a stiff six furlongs in 1:08.60 and powered clear late to win wrapped up by 10 1/2 lengths.

Patch Adams reached the finish line in 1:20.77, just 0.34 seconds off the track record set in 2012 by two-time Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Groupie Doll.

Patch Adams is by Into Mischief and is the first foal to race out of the Distorted Humor mare Well Humored.

Well Humored had a very brief racing career with only four starts to her credit.

She broke her maiden on her debut race at the age of 3 going 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Delaware Park on September 6, 2017.

As you can see, her first race was late in the season (September) at the age of 3 and one would wonder, why was it so late?

Some physical issues, perhaps?

Anyhow, her next race was on November 23, 2017 in an overnight listed stakes race on turf going 1 1/16 miles at Aqueduct where she finished a non-threatening 6th.

On her 4yo debut race on January 20, 2018, she won an overnight listed stakes race going 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs.

Her connections were very high on her after her 4yo debut race.

She stepped up in class considerably in her next race where she competed against some of the best horses in the country at Keeneland on April 20, 2018 going 1 1/16 miles on dirt, in which, she came out of her nineth-place finish lamed.

She was retired after that race.

As for Patch Adams, the future looks bright for this son of perennial leading North American sire Into Mischief.

Not to mention a 98 Beyer Speed Figure for Patch Adams, 2nd highest by a 2-year-old thus far this year 2024. (Only Rated by Merit had a 99)

Very impressive!


In race 6 (6 1/2 furlongs) Ed Brown Stakes which won by Keep It Easy (:22 :44.4 1:09 1:15.2) -- and he, too -- fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.


In race 7 another colt named Disco Time (:23 :45.2 1:09.4 1:22 1:34.4) also fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.

Disco Time tracked a fast pace of 23:03 (for quarter-mile), 45:51 (for half-mile), and he took over the lead to clock 1:09.83 for six furlongs, 1:22.18 for seven furlongs and his winning time of 1:34.98 for the one-mile race was not bad in comparison to the track record of 1:33 1/5 for the one-mile distance.

The one-mile race was for $100k optional claiming with a purse of $127k [in a field of 9 2yo colts].

In his previous and only start Disco Time won a $118k maiden special weight seven-furlong race by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:23.86 running as the 5/2 favorite on November 1, 2024, at Churchill Downs [earning Beyer Speed Figure of 77].


In race 10 another filly named Impressive Buy also fits my profile as the 'Star in the Making' prospect.

The six and one-half furlong Fern Creek Stakes ($225k) seemed like a wide open 2yo (fillies) stakes race if not for the presence of Shisospicy (pronounce she-so-spicy) when she won her only previous start on October 18, 2024 at Gulfstream Park in a maiden special weight race by a whopping 16 1/4-lengths.

Shisospicy earned Beyer Speed Figure of 80 for that October 18 six-furlong race, making her the 5-2 second choice behind the 2-1 favorite Impressive Buy for the Fern Creek Stakes.

Impressive Buy (:21.3 :44.1 1:09.1 1:16) won the Fern Creek Stakes very impressively.




ALSO WORTHY OF MENTION AS THE STAR IN THE MAKING PROSPECTS ARE THE FOLLOWING:


Golden Rod Stakes: Eclatant, Good Cheer

Kentucky Jockey Club: Jonathan's Way




BUT THE REAL STAR IN THE MAKING IS PATCH ADAMS!


On Saturday November 30 Patch Adams got off evenly in third about one length back and he continued to track leaders in third to the top of the stretch when he strongly burst into scene to take the lead, and from there, he was looking like an easy winner every step of the way while being geared down inside the 16th pole.

He almost broke a track record set by an older horse and that says a lot.

He earned a massive Beyer Speed Figure of 98; yes, 98, only Rated by Merit -- whose Beyer Speed Figure of 99 -- has a higher figure than Patch Adams for 2yos of any sex in 2024 thus far.

I'm very excited about Patch Adams and perhaps about the 2yo filly Book'em as well, but the jury is still out on the filly and we'll find out soon if she is as good of a racehorse as I think she is.

But I have no doubt about Patch Adams' status as the future star.

He will be a star of his generation in 2025 and beyond.

The Smarty Jones Stakes on Saturday January 4, 2025 at one-mile and one-sixteenth at Oaklawn Park is the most likely his stakes debut race.

Stay tuned!

UPDATE: January 12, 2025


Book"em euthanized after suffering sesamoid injury

Here the full story:

Book"em, among the fastest 2-year-old fillies of 2024, fractured sesamoids while breezing Jan. 6 (2025) at Fair Grounds and, owing to the extent of her injury, subsequently was euthanized, trainer Bret Calhoun said Sunday.

Calhoun had planned to launch Book"em"s 3-year-old season on Jan. 18 in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds. Instead, he has a hole in his stable and a heavy heart.

“You hate for something like that to ever happen, but right now, I had one good horse, and it was her,” Calhoun said.

Book"em was working five furlongs after the renovation break when she injured herself turning into the homestretch of her breeze.

“Just a routine work and she pulled up. She"s a horse who"d always been healthy,” Calhoun said.

Book"em, a Tiz the Law filly campaigning for Kirk Kat and Wayne Sanders, debuted finishing second in a short sprint this past June, then won three straight, the last of them a one-turn-mile Churchill Downs allowance that yielded an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, among the fastest figures in her division last year.