Photo:

Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire

In this biweekly series, racing analyst 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

Monday

Horseshoe Indianapolis, race 9: Bishops Bay is back in a big way. The 2023 Peter Pan (G3) and Ohio Derby (G3) runner-up ended a 16 1/2-month layoff with victory in a one-mile and 70-yard, $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Horseshoe Indianapolis, in the process becoming a watch list winner.

Favored at 1-2, the Brad Cox-trained 4-year-old settled in third place behind quick splits of 22.99 and 46.67 seconds, then gradually advanced into quick closing fractions to take command and win by two lengths. His final time of 1:39.98 seconds missed a 13-year-old track record by only 0.73 seconds.

With this fine comeback victory under his belt, a return to stakes competition is almost certainly in the future for Bishops Bay.

Entries

Friday

Del Mar, race 7. Bishops Bay isn’t the only horse ending a long layoff this week. On Friday at Del Mar, last year’s Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner Tamara will make her long-awaited return in a six-furlong $100,000 allowance optional claimer for fillies and mares.

Tamara hasn’t raced since exiting a seventh-place finish in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a splint injury. The good news is, the daughter of Bolt d’Oro out of four-time champion Beholder has been cranking out fast workouts in preparation for her comeback. According to Brisnet statistics, trainer Richard Mandella wins at a 23 percent rate with horses returning from layoffs of 90 days or more, so look for Tamara to deliver a strong showing in her belated 3-year-old debut.

Saturday

Del Mar, race 2. Two starts, two victories. Silent Law has yet to be challenged. The 2-year-old Bob Baffert trainee opened her career with a 10-length romp in a five-furlong maiden special weight at Los Alamitos, after which she led by daylight at every call of Santa Anita’s six-furlong Anoakia to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

Now Silent Law will stretch out over seven furlongs for the Desi Arnaz, a race Baffert has won four times in the last seven years. She’s facing some talented rivals, including her Del Mar Debutante-winning stablemate Tenma, but Silent Law’s abundant early speed may prove sufficient to win the day.

Woodbine, race 10. The Autumn (G2) was supposed to take place last Saturday at Woodbine, but the 1 1/8-mile race was postponed by a week because of safety concerns with the Tapeta track. So, one week later than expected, Paramount Prince will use the Autumn as a rebound opportunity.

It was more than a little surprising to see Paramount Prince finish last of five in the Durham Cup (G3) on Tapeta at Woodbine last month. The 4-year-old gelding hadn’t missed the trifecta in nine previous starts over the Woodbine Tapeta, including a victory in the 2023 King’s Plate. Furthermore, he entered the Durham Cup in hot form, having wired the Dominion Day (G3) and Seagram Cup (G2) at Woodbine by daylight margins.

So what went wrong in the Durham Cup? Maybe Paramount Prince was compromised by setting the pace on a day when not a single horse managed to win in gate-to-wire fashion on Tapeta. Or maybe he had an off day. In any case, the Mark Casse trainee is a logical contender to bounce back while sticking to the Woodbine Tapeta for the Autumn (G2). I’m optimistic he’ll shrug off his last-out disappointment and get back to the winner’s circle.

Sunday

Del Mar, race 8. McKinzie Street has squared off against some tough rivals. In the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1), he finished second behind next-out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Gaming while beating future Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Citizen Bull. Then in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah (G1), McKinzie Street placed third behind Citizen Bull and Best Pal (G3) winner Getaway Car.

Now McKinzie Street is dropping down in class and distance for the seven-furlong Bob Hope (G3). He’ll meet a promising field, but his experience at the Grade 1 level should prove tough for his rivals to overcome.

Here is my complete, updated list of Horses to Watch.