Saturday's notable 2-year-old maidens: 2nd at Saratoga

Saratoga's 2ND race, 1 1/16 miles on turf (1:34 p.m. EDT)

Juddmonte Farm's homebred Acoustic is a blueblood -- but I repeat myself -- by Tapit and out of English highweight older mare Promising Lead. She is a very close relative of Banks Hill, Dansili, Intercontinental, Champs Elysees and Cacique. Like them, she is by Danehill, and her dam is a full sister to their dam, Hasili. Promising Lead is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Visit, who placed in several majors topped by the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). This is also the family of Three Valleys and Leroidesanimaux. Acoustic has been pegged at 15-1 on the morning line, which savors of an overlay considering how well Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's babies have been performing on turf.

Mott's other runner is Oscar Nominated, a son of Kitten's Joy and the stakes-winning Theatrical mare Devine Actress. That cross yields a very productive inbreeding to world-class sires (and three-quarter brothers) Sadler's Wells and Nureyev. The Amerman homebred hails from the further family of Grade 1 star and $2.5 million-earner Dramatic Gold (and therefore the same line as Saturday rival Monster Bea).

Kitten's Joy is also represented by Deeply Undervalued from the Chad Brown barn. The $200,000 Keeneland September yearling is a half-brother to Monmouth turf stakes winner and course record-setter Sleepless Knight, who was multiple Grade 3-placed. Their dam, Dream About, romped in the Mazarine (G2) at two. Yet as a May 4 foal, he might be better in time.

Tapit has another chance in Rafting, trained by Graham Motion. The Wertheimer et Frere homebred is out of a half-sister to current Dwyer (G3) winner Speightster. Rafting's dam, Paiota Falls, is a stakes-winning Kris S. mare who went four-for-five lifetime. The colt's second dam is an unraced full sister to Hall of Famer Dance Smartly. Leading sire Smart Strike is another outstanding member of this family.  The one caveat about Rafting is that he's a May 1 foal. On the other hand, he's been training sharply at Fair Hill.

Todd Pletcher sends out Mighty Mo, a son of champion Uncle Mo, whose first-crop winners include the promoted Sanford (G3) winner Uncle Vinny. The $160,000 OBS March purchase is out of a Grand Reward half-sister to multiple Grade 3 turf victor Lotus Pool. Other notable turf performers in the family are Lear Spear, Moriarty, Montgomery's Arch (interestingly by Uncle Mo's broodmare sire Arch) and Reine Mathilde. Between Uncle Mo's precocity, Pletcher's win percentage with firsters (26%) and the dam's turf influence, Mighty Mo should give a good account of himself.

Conquest Windycity was a pinhook triumph, selling to his current connections for $800,000 at OBS March after originally bringing $320,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling. The son of Tiznow is sure to appreciate starting out around two turns. With his dam being a full sister to 2001 Saratoga Special (G2) winner Jump Start, Conquest Windycity sports inbreeding to Seattle Slew. Second dam Steady Cat placed in the Adirondack (G2), and his third dam is a full sister to influential sire Miswaki. Although capable of handling turf just fine, the Mark Casse trainee could come into his own routing on dirt.

Dalmore, as a son of Colonel John, is entitled to do better on the stretch-out and switch to turf. The Keith Desormeaux trainee has been second and fourth in dirt sprints on both coasts (most recently to Best Pal [G2] entrant Paynes Prairie). He is out of a Silver Deputy half-sister to Cup and Saucer winner Slew's Saga.

Monster Bea sold for a mere $2,000 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October, but his pedigree is better than that. He's by the fine Sunday Silence stallion Hat Trick and out of a full sister to Grade 3-winning sprinter Elusive Jazz (from the aforementioned family of Dramatic Gold). A fast-finishing fourth on debut at Presque Isle, Monster Bea represents owner/trainer Adam Rice, who just sent out Don't Be So Salty to win first time out here on the turf.

The well-named Matt King Coal is a son of Cool Coal Man who commanded $250,000 -- 50 times his sire's stud fee -- from trainer Linda Rice (agent) at OBS in April. That was also 10 times his yearling price. While he hails from the family of ill-fated Grade 1 hero Dance with Fate, his co-bullet work in :10 at the under tack show is likely what fueled the interest.

Say Hey Kid is a cleverly-named son of Haynesfield and Swinging. His freshman sire got off the mark with first-time starter Realm, victorious in a Spa maiden on the dirt. But paternal grandsire Speightstown is an influence for surface versatility. The dam, Swinging, is by Wild Again and from the turf-oriented family of Interactif, Divine Oath, and Animal Spirits. The colt's third dam is unbeaten Hall of Famer and Broodmare of the Year Personal Ensign. Since he's never posted a work for Ken McPeek on the turf, I suspect this might be a placement more for the distance than the surface.