What 2-year-olds have caught your eye to this point?

I have seen all of the CD juvenile races in person and watched several of the HOL and BEL babies and the best I've seen to date will all perform at the Spa, which I'm happy to report.

Steve Asmussen is the BEST trainer of 2-year-olds in the country (with Ronnie Werner a close second IMO), and unlike the past, Asmussen finally has owners like Jess Jackson who are getting him in the pedigree market for some really nice horses at the horse auctions. He has about 5 or 6 horses for Stonestreet that are very nice babies, and they paid a hefty coin for most of them.

His best juvenile and one with the most upside is a beautiful black colt by Storm Cat named NAPA CAT, who professionally broke his maiden first out at CD from off the pace in easy fashion. They paid $800,000 for this one at KEE Sept. - which is about 4-5 times more than most of the Asmussen owner's purchases in the past. Heiligbrodt ad McCarty will only shell out $75,000 - $200,000 for one, and now that Asmussen has a guy like Jackson, LOOK OUT!!!

Napa Cat will be top class around one turn, but since he is out of a Housebuster mare, their may be disatnce limitations here. However, Asmussen is clearly more productive with Sprinters than Routers anyway. Keep a serious watch out for this one..I think Steve believes this is his best youngster and he has a barn full of good ones.

The other pair of babies hail from the Todd Pletcher stable and appear to be his best two. He has treated them like his best two because they have worked against each other several times at CD and Palm Meadows.

SCAT DADDY broke his maiden broke his maiden today at BEL ad he has been my personal favorite...I've seen him work unbelievable at CD a couple of times and he is such a big, handsome colt that absolutely oozes class when you watch his manurisms. I've watched him walk off the track and bathe on the wash rack and he is one classy looking dude. He is my early BC Juvenile colt until someone else proves better. A $250,000 KEE Sept. purchase (I watched him go through the ring and wished I had the money to buy him..wow..it was at the end of Day 1 of the sale and Pletcher was sitting in front of me when he bought him and he commented to a women with him that he was surprised that he went so cheap, but everyone had about left at that point...beautiful colt), Scat Daddy is by the brillaint Johannesburg (one of my personal faves) and out of a Mr. Prospector (leading broodmare sire in the world) mare.

I can't say enough about this one...

Scat Daddy's stablemate is MINEFIELD, who is also his workmate because they are both so fast. Minefield is a $400,000 yearling purchase by Silver Deputy, and he himself is a GREAT looking animal...very flashy looking and about took my breath away in the paddock (I was in the paddock) when he debuted at CD a few weeks ago. He absolutely crushed a full group of CD maidens with absolute ease by like 7-lengths without taking a deep breath.

I'm betting he is a sprinter/miler type like Napa Cat, but he is a serious talent and will be a top class performer....He is easily the best CD 2-year-old winner I've seen to date, although I think Napa Cat is as good. He'll be the favorite and horse to beat at CD in next month's Gr. III Bashford Manor on July 8th, where I'm sure Asmussen will probably run Napa Cat, too...and another decent little speedy colt named Run Alex Run will take a lot of money in that race if he points for it for trainer Jenks Fires.

Joel's Top 3 Juveniles: (as of 6/3)

(1) Scat Daddy
(2) Napa Cat
(3) Minefield

Does anyone else follow 2-year-olds as closely and have any opinions? Thoughts?