Harlocap, bred by Breed First, LLC broke his maiden by 4 1/2 lengths on Sunday afternoon at Santa Anita Park. The three year old dark bay colt is by Justify out of Mezinka, a Bodemeister mare. The Bob Baffert trainee went straight to the front of the line in the 1 1/16 mile dirt race to set an easy pace up front in his third start. The precocious colt refused to succumb to any pressure his opponents in the field gave him and was not asked for more by jockey John Valazquez until nearing the final stretch. The race was all but over from there. Steadily, he drew away in the final stages proving to those watching why he was heavily favorited with the third place horse more than nine lengths behind him.

This was the young colts third start, his second in 2023. Harlocap had his career debut in Del Mar in late November where he finished second. He took what he learned from that race and used it in his next start on January 2nd in another maiden special weight, this time at Santa Anita. Unfortunately, the colt finished second to another Baffert trained, but ran a good race and finished in good order allowing him to run this past Sunday. Congratulations to Breed First, and his current racing connections, Villa Rosa Farm and Harlo stables, who purchased him as a 2-year-old for $400,000 last year. Harlocap is Justify's 31st winner, including seven graded stakes performers, six stakes winners and ten stakes performers, led by four graded stakes winners.