In this biweekly series, racing analyst J. Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.

Results

Friday

Churchill Downs, race 1: Optical is off my watch list after finishing third as an odds-on favorite in a $50,000 starter allowance, his second straight defeat.

Churchill Downs, race 6: Disco Time is new to my watch list after debuting with a sharp victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. The Juddmonte homebred was never more than a length behind splits of 23.01 and 46.68 seconds before dashing his final three furlongs in about 37.20 seconds to dominate by 3 3/4 lengths. Brad Cox trains the 2-year-old son of Not This Time, and a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier may be in Disco Time’s future.

Churchill Downs, race 7: Muhimma brought her record to 2-for-2 and became a watch list winner with a pace-pressing 5 1/2-length triumph in a seven-furlong $100,000 allowance optional claimer. The Cox-trained filly won wrapped up in 1:23.77 and looks like a serious road to the Kentucky Oaks type.

Del Mar, race 7: Scottish Lassie is off my watch list after tiring to finish fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. In contrast, Immersive is new to my watch list after charging from midfield to dominate by 4 1/2 lengths. The three-time Grade 1 winner has been unstoppable for Cox and heads into winter as the Kentucky Oaks favorite.

Del Mar, race 9: Citizen Bull won for the second straight time as a watch list member when wiring the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at 15-1 odds. The son of Into Mischief has improved with every start for trainer Bob Baffert and figures to be a force on Kentucky Derby trail next year.

Gaming raced in second place at every call, ultimately finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind, and is worth watching again. I’ll also give East Avenue a chance to rebound after a bad stumble at the start contributed to his ninth-place finish. But I’ll drop Getaway Car (fourth) and Ferocious (fifth) from my watch list. Both have suffered three consecutive defeats.

Del Mar, race 10: Iron Man Cal is worth watching again after finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Sent off at 29-1, the California colt rated in midfield and rallied nicely down the homestretch, but failed by a neck to outkick the victorious Henri Matisse.

Mentee, who faded to finish last after tracking the pace, is worth watching again as the distance likely was too far. But I’ll drop fourth-place finisher New Century from my watch list.

Saturday

Del Mar, race 4: Although Ways and Means finished fifth as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, she was only beaten 1 1/4 lengths despite being bumped in tight quarters down the homestretch. The Test (G1) winner is worth watching again.

Vahva never factored while finishing eighth and is off my watch list.

Del Mar, race 5: Heavy favorite Cogburn opened up a daylight lead halfway through the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, but the fractions he set, 21.59 and 43.72 seconds, proved destructive. He faded late to finish fifth by 1 1/4 lengths, which wasn’t a bad effort given the intensity of the pace.

Cogburn is worth watching again, and so is Star of Mystery, who charged hard late to finish fourth by one length. She stayed closer to the early pace than the top two finishers, and the best may be yet to come for this 3-year-old filly.

Del Mar, race 6: All hail Thorpedo Anna, who picked up her fifth Grade 1 win of 2024 when leading all the way to beat older rivals in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She ran a remarkably consistent race, running every quarter-mile between 23.81 and 24.60 seconds before dashing her final eighth in 12.49 seconds to score by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:49.10. Thorpedo Anna won six races as a member of my watch list this season and has a strong shot to be voted horse of the year at the Eclipse Awards.

Belmont at the Big A, race 10: Cox is loaded with 2025 Kentucky Oaks contenders. In addition to Muhimma and Immersive, Cox has Stunner, who led all the way through strong fractions of 22.92 and 45.87 seconds to win the one-mile Tempted by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:36.90. The Florida-bred filly earned a promising 88 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

Del Mar, race 8: Fierceness ran his heart out in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, pressing blazing fractions of 22.43, 44.96, and 1:09.44 before battling on to finish second by 1 1/2 lengths. Any way you slice it, this was a huge performance, and he’ll stay on my watch list if he stays in training for 2025.

Forever Young also ran strongly, finishing third by 2 3/4 lengths after sticking within 1 1/2 lengths of the pace for the first mile. He’s worth watching again, as is marathon specialist Next, who finished last while appearing to struggle against the blazing early pace. I’ll also forgive the ninth-place finish of Highland Falls, but I’ll drop from my watch list Arthur’s Ride, who suffered his second straight defeat when fading to finish 12th.

Del Mar, race 9: Moira picked the perfect day to secure her first Grade 1 win. Despite racing wide throughout the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, she pounced to a clear lead in the homestretch and held off all comers to prevail by half a length. If that proves to be Moira’s final start, she went out as a watch list winner.

Favored 3-year-old Cinderella’s Dream is worth watching again after closing 3 1/4 lengths through the final furlong to finish second. But I’ll reluctantly drop War Like Goddess, who rallied only mildly to finish fifth. At the same time, I’ll salute her achievements; she spent more than four years on my watch list and won 10 graded stakes during that time frame.

Del Mar, race 10: Straight No Chaser picked up his second straight watch list win in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, charging hard from just behind the leaders to prevail by half a length in 1:08.62.

Worth watching again are Federal Judge, who faded to finish fifth after carving out fractions of 21.74 and 44.12 seconds, and Raging Torrent, who ran seventh over a distance probably a furlong shorter than ideal.

Del Mar, race 11: More Than Looks finally got a hot pace to chase in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and he responded with a gigantic rally that carried him to victory by three-quarters of a length. By running his final quarter-mile in 22.88 seconds, he reached the finish line in a quick 1:32.65, securing his first win as a member of my watch list.

Carl Spackler finished sixth by 2 3/4 lengths after unexpectedly dropping 2 1/2 lengths off the early lead; the pace fractions of 22.73, 45.90 and 1:08.89 may have been faster than ideal.

Chili Flag suffered her third straight defeat when finishing seventh, so I’ll remove her from my watch list.

Del Mar, race 12: Muth and Saudi Crown failed to seriously factor while finishing seventh and 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, so I’ll remove both from my watch list.

However, I’ll add the victorious Full Serrano, who pressed quick fractions of 22.30, 45.47 and 1:09.69 on his way to victory by 1 1/2 lengths over a pair of deep closers. The talented Argentina-bred is getting good for trainer John Sadler and could be poised for a big winter campaign.

Sunday

Belmont at the Big A, race 6: Nic’s Style was easily best while dropping in class for the seven-furlong Pumpkin Pie, pressing splits of 22.61 and 45.75 seconds before taking over to win by 3 1/4 lengths in 1:22.51. The Gallant Bloom (G2) runner-up is now 4-for-5 lifetime.

Belmont at the Big A, race 8: Tuscan Sky put up a good fight in the 1 1/8-mile Discovery, dueling through fractions of 23.18, 46.51 and 1:11.05 before staying on to finish second by three-quarters of a length against a rallying winner. But he’s lost two straight races now, so I’ll drop him from my watch list.

Off the watch list

A minor knee injury has sent Idiomatic into retirement. She won a trio of Grade 1 races while part of my watch list, including the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Distaff.