First-Crop sires: Fourth Winner for Keen Ice

Keen Ice, the only horse to beat American Pharoah in his Triple Crown-winning season, is one of the sires with first-crop two-year-olds that the TwinSpires team is following in 2021.

As a colt that needed every bit of 1 1/4 miles to excel, Keen Ice would not have been everyone’s selection to be a sire of precocious two-year-olds.

But to date, they’re doing better than might have been expected.

After three winners prior to the end of June, it’s been a bit of a wait for Keen Ice’s next winner, but it arrived Aug.10 courtesy of Miss Chamita at Indiana Grand.

Miss Chamita had run three times in Kentucky prior to her victory, her best effort a third-place finish at Churchill Downs, and she went out as the second-favorite in a $34,000 maiden special weight contest over a mile at Indiana Grand.

Like her sire, Miss Chamita didn’t have much early speed, trailing the seven-horse field during the opening stages, but she picked up quickly from the half-mile point and was contesting the lead at the top of the stretch.

Despite a bit of bumping when cornering with favorite Mariah’s Fortune, Miss Chamita drew away nicely to win by 6 3/4 lengths, with a further 9 3/4 lengths to third-placed Poetic Pursuit.

Out of the Jump Start mare Princess Susan M, Miss Chamita was a $3000 purchase at last year’s Keeneland September yearling sale for Hablan Los Caballos, who race the filly along with Five Dreamers Corp.

She joined Icy Storm, Ice Breaker, and She Nasty as winners to date for Keen Ice.

Two days later, Who Hoo That’s Me, by Keen Ice out of the Hard Spun mare Calculation, finished second in a New York-bred maiden race at Saratoga on debut. He was unable to keep up with Daufuskie Island in the stretch, but was a clear second and should have a decent chance of winning in the near future.

Keen Ice was best-known as a closer who enjoyed distances of 1 1/4 miles and more. His most notable victories were the 2015 Travers Stakes (G1), defeating American Pharoah; and the 2017 Suburban Handicap (G2), defeating Shaman Ghost.

Keen Ice finished with career earnings of more than $3.4 million, helped by top-four finishes in the Belmont Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational (G1), Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Whitney Stakes (G1), and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

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About the series

Freshman Orientation is a series highlighting five different sires with a first crop of 2-year-old Thoroughbreds. Could the juveniles show up at the Breeders' Cup or even the 2022 Kentucky Derby? Follow along and find out!

First-crop Sires: Surface no issue for recent Classic Empire winners

First-crop sires: Wit continues to impress for Practical Joke

First-crop Sires: Keen Ice on the board

First-crop Sires: Arrogate will shine bright given time

First-Crop sires: Classic Empire quick out of the stall with five early winners

First-crop sires: Gun Runner keeps blazing with Costa Terra, Gunite

First-crop sires: Gun Runner's Echo Zulu flashes star potential at Saratoga

First-crop sires: Gun Runner's Red Run, Pappacap fire on debut

First-crop sires: Practical Joke's off to serious start as sire