This column highlights the performances of 3-year-old 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 graded/group winners, or have dams that are graded/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 Park
Siena Farm-bred Assertiveness shared his dam’s fondness for the turf, digging in for a gutsy second-out score on the grass March 8 at Gulfstream Park for Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable.
Assertiveness is one of four winners out of the Eskendereya mare Isabella Sings , who’s son Otello (Curlin ) made her a black-type producer last year with his victory in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream. Isabella Sings, bred and campaigned by the late Anthony Manganaro of Siena Farm, bankrolled $648,170 in a 21-start career racing exclusively on the turf. A durable race mare, she collected four graded stakes wins from ages 2-5.
Isabella Sings’ trainer, Todd Pletcher, also trains her 3-year-old son of six-time leading sire Into Mischief , Assertiveness. Acquired for $650,000 out of the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Assertiveness would make only one start as a 2-year-old, finishing fourth and last in an off-the-turf mile maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course. Brushing the gate at the start, the colt failed to grab the sloppy track and was eased across the finish. Given ample time to regroup, the bay returned to the work tab with Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs string this past winter, tearing through a series of bullet breezes ahead of his turf debut.
Dismissed at 9-1 against a heady field of 3-year-old maidens, Assertiveness broke sharply from the 12 post and cut in deftly as the field raced into the clubhouse turn. Under jockey John Velazquez, the colt perched three wide in a perfect striking position down the backstretch behind splits of :23.21 and :47.44. Into the lane Assertiveness drew even with the stubborn pacesetter and wore down that foe only to be met with a late challenge from Dublin’s Knight in deep stretch. Tenacious to the wire, Assertiveness denied the 1-2 race favorite, prevailing by a nose in a final time of 1:34.62 over a firm turf course.
Isabella Sings, in foal to Flightline , recently sold to Tony Holmes and Tim Thornton at the 2024 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale for $210,000. Her 2-year-old filly, a daughter of Gun Runner named Izzy’s Gunna Run, dropped the hammer for $635,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale to Joey Platts.
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| BloodHorse Maiden Watch | |||||||
| Notable 3-year-old maiden winners for the week of March 3-9 | |||||||
| Date | Track | Race | Horse | Sire | Dam | Start | Maiden Watch Eligibility Criteria |
| 3/6 | GP | 6 | Starship Melody | Vekoma | Honey Trap | 3 | Half Sibling to G2SW Delight |
| 3/6 | TP | 4 | Family | Sharp Azteca | Heidi Maria | 1 | Half Sibling to G2SW Vegas Magic |
| 3/8 | GP | 2 | Assertiveness | Into Mischief | Isabella Sings | 2 | $650K Yearling; Dam is a G2SW |
| 3/8 | TP | 10 | Masayoshi | Authentic | Wine Princess | 2 | Half Sibling to G3SW Smokin’ T; Dam is a G2SW |
| 3/9 | OP | 8 | Princess Aliyah | Into Mischief | Silver Colors | 5 | $1.2M Yearling; Half Sibling to G1SW Eskimo Kisses |
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