This column highlights the performances of Maidens who have started no more than five times and have either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings who have won in Groups or Groups, or have dams who have won in Groups or Groups. BloodHorse’s research shows that Maiden winners who meet these criteria in particular are more likely to win in Group races.
Ellis Park
Two years old Civetta showed a precocity that was missing in the early careers of her Graded Stakes-winning dam and older half-brother Santin when she raced home victorious in a 5 1/2 furlong Turf Maiden Special Contest on August 10 Ellis Park.
The daughter of Into disaster became the latest juvenile from powerful owner and breeder Godolphin to be photographed at Ellis Park, a meet to which the team has sent a remarkable five winners among two-year-olds since July 5. Civetta, like many of Godolphin’s horses, was bred at the Lexington farm and comes from the operation’s troop of top-class broodmares.
Civetta comes from the Godolphin ridden Medal d’Oro Mare Sentiero Italia, a multiple Grade 2 winner, completed two rounds on the turf and went one better with her son Santin. Also racing under Godolphin’s royal blue, Santin (by Distorted Humor) earned $1.9 million and earned Grade 1 victories in the 2022 Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) and Arlington Million (G1T) at age 4.
Sentiero Italia and Santin only entered the racetrack at the age of 3. However, the fast-maturing Civetta was more than up to the task on her debut. She comes from the same stable as her Grade 1-winning brother. The Brendan Walsh-trained mare got off to a quick start and stayed in the lead in brisk opening periods of :21.20 and :44. With a time of :55.72 for the five furlongs, Civetta and the purchase price of $600,000 for the CRK Stable Beautiful Emma remained involved in the fight until the barbed wire.
In the end, Civetta won, beating Lovely Emma by a neck in 1:01.84 on a firm turf track.
🦉#8 CIVETTA ($11.18) pressured Lovely Emma before overtaking that rival en route to a debut win in the Ellis opener.
Civetta, a 2-year-old filly by @spendthriftfarm Into Mischief out of the classification winner Sentiero Italia was ridden by @luanmachado85 for @godolphin and @brenpwalsh. pic.twitter.com/JO75r1taRj
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) 10 August 2024
| BloodHorse Maiden Watch | |||||||
| Notable winners of the 2-year-old Maidens in the week of August 5-11 | |||||||
| Date | rail | Race | Horse | Father | dam | start | Maiden Watch Eligibility Criteria |
| 8/5 | IND | 1 | Good mood | Medal d’Oro | Wedding toast | 1 | Mother is a G1SW |
| 8/8 | SAR | 6 | And once again | Omaha Beach | Complicated | 2 | $750,000 yearling; half-sibling to G2SW Honor D Lady |
| 8/10 | EP | 1 | Civetta | Into disaster | Way to Italy | 1 | Mother is a G2SW; half-sibling of G1SW Santin |
| 8/10 | SAR | 1 | Sandman | Tapit | Distorted music | 2 | $1.2 million, 2 years old; Half-sibling of g3SW, She Can’t Sing |
