Flameaway Filly Tops Males in Keeneland Unveiling

This column highlights the performances of 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.

Keeneland

In a week brimming with impressive graduates, John Oxley's homebred Dreamaway became the first 2-year-old to etch her name among the Maiden Watchers after her gritty debut score against males April 21 at Keeneland.

An ivory filly already two shades lighter than her grade 1 winning dam Dream Dancing was at this stage in her career, Dreamaway lined up as the 1-2 favorite despite being the only filly going to post against seven males. She headed into the 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight primed in a fashion that only trainer Wesley Ward seems to do best when 2-year-old season rolls around. The Kentucky-based conditioner has won five of the seven 2-year-old races of the Keeneland spring meet.

She had thrown down six three-furlong works shading :37 since coming into Ward's care, including four breezes over a famously deep Payson Park Training Center surface in South Florida.

Dreamaway showed nothing but resolve in her unveiling, winning gate-to-wire in a sustained battle the entire 4 1/2 furlongs with the Steve Asmussen-trained Clever Again. With Hall of Famer John Velasquez aboard, Dreamaway remained one step ahead of the $500,000 colt, unwavering on the rail. Clever Again got as close as a head's distance from victory at the wire after hounding the filly throughout. Flashing past the finish line in near-unison, Dreamaway narrowly prevailed in :53.41 on a fast main track.

A daughter of the Oxley-raced stallion Flameaway , a promising second-crop sire with 21 winners from his first runners last year, Dreamaway became the second winner produced by Dream Dancing. Also campaigned by Oxley, Dream Dancing's finest moment came as a 3-year-old when she rallied six deep down the Del Mar straightaway to a nose victory in the 2017 Del Mar Oaks (G1T).

While Dream Dancing primarily raced on the turf, Flameaway found success on both surfaces. The hardy son of Scat Daddy began his career with stakes wins on the grass but eventually made his way over to the dirt for trainer Mark Casse, even starting in the 2018 Kentucky Derby (G1).

On debut 2yo #2 DREAMAWAY ($3.04) by Flameaway just holds off the #4 Clever Again to win race 2 at Keeneland. John Velazquez was aboard for Wesley Ward, who wins yet another 2yo race.

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