Stakes-winning Signal Alert third in graded debut

SIGNAL ALERT -- fastest 2-year-old in Trinidad and a track record-setter already at age 3 -- came up short in his graded-stakes debut May 21 in the Santa Rosa Dash-G2 at Santa Rosa Park.

The 1,200-meter race was won by two-time reigning Trinidad Horse of the Year Bruceontheloose in a Santa Rosa track record of 1:09.2. Bruceontheloose is a Jamaican-bred 6-year-old son of Wheelaway. He has now won 14 of 18 lifetime starts in Trinidad according to the Trinidad & Tobago Racing Authority.

Signal Alert was the buzz-horse leading up to the race, blamed for scaring away competition after going 4-for-4 to start his career, including a record-smashing 1:15.90 for 1,300 meters at Santa Rosa Park. But on this day, he lost out not only to the experienced champion, but to a fellow 3-year-old in second-place stablemate Readbetweendlines (Consolidator).

I recommended the son of Omega Code-Southern Alert, by Southern Halo, before he sold for $35,000 as Hip 465 at the 2010 Ocala April sale. He was immediately sent to Trinidad, where he has fared quite well. The colt's 10.1 breeze was attention-getting, and I expected him to be not only fast, but fast early, as his sire was a track record-setter at 2 and his dam set a track record going 4 1/2 furlongs at Prairie Meadows.

You can follow my entire 187-horse Sales-Tip Class of 2010 -- even those racing in Korea, Trinidad and elsewhere abroad -- in the list at the bottom of this link.