Horses to Watch: Follow a top turf star, a rising 2-year-old

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.

New to the watch list

Measured Time

Godolphin homebred Measured Time impressed when making his U.S. debut in the 1 3/16-mile Manhattan (G1) at Saratoga last Saturday. Always part of the pace while vying for early command with long shot Strong Quality, Measured Time found another gear in the homestretch and edged away to defeat multiple Grade and Group 1 winner Nations Pride by two lengths. His winning time of 1:51.94 seconds missed the course record by only 0.54 seconds.

I initially hesitated to add Measured Time to my watch list because I wasn’t sure where he would head after the Manhattan. But Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form has reported the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs is on the agenda, with the Breeders’ Cup Turf looming as a long-term goal. Since those targets seem like ideal fits for Measured Time, I’ll add him to my watch list and hope he continues his ascent through the U.S. racing ranks.

Nooni

Purchased for $1.8 million in March, 2-year-old filly Nooni caught eyes when debuting in a five-furlong maiden special weight on Thursday at Santa Anita. The daughter of Win Win Win led by daylight at every call, setting fractions of 22.07 and 45.44 seconds on her way to an effortless victory by 9 1/2 lengths in 58.21 seconds.

Conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Nooni is shaping up as an early-season juvenile with stakes potential. The Aug. 10 Sorrento (G3) and Sept. 7 Del Mar Debutante (G1), both at Del Mar, could be viable summer targets.

Upcoming entries

Tuscan Sky

Tuscan Sky appeared to have Kentucky Derby potential after opening his career with impressive maiden and allowance victories. In a 1 1/16-mile $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds, Tuscan Sky employed pace-tracking tactics to win by two lengths over Nash, who returned to win the Hot Springs and place second in the Pat Day Mile (G2).

Unfortunately, everything went wrong for Tuscan Sky when he made his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut in the Wood Memorial (G2). He broke a little slowly and got squeezed between rivals, falling much farther off the early pace than usual. He also seemed to struggle with racing in kickback. Tuscan Sky did mount a rally around the far turn, but he ran into more traffic and steadied when a rival fell, ultimately finishing seventh.

If Tuscan Sky can work out a clean trip in Saturday’s 10th race at Monmouth Park, the Pegasus (post time 5:24 p.m. EDT), he can bounce back to the winner’s circle for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, a five-time Pegasus winner. Perhaps the addition of blinkers, a 20 percent winning move for Pletcher per Brisnet statistics, can help Tuscan Sky break sharply from the rail post and avoid trouble.

Off the watch list

Bolden

Cleaning up my watch list a bit, I’m removing Bolden, the undefeated California-bred who went 4-for-4 during a brilliant but layoff-dotted career. He retired at the end of 2023 and stands at stud at Rancho San Miguel in California. Bolden once ran six furlongs on turf in 1:07.50 seconds: here’s hoping Bolden passes on his blazing speed and becomes a leading regional sire.