In a topsy-turvy 2020, some things remain the same. Saratoga and Del Mar are still favored places to reveal promising juveniles, and on August 8, Weston added his name to the list of youngsters to keep an eye on. A gelded son of 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (USA-G1) winner and freshman sire Hit It a Bomb (War Front x Liscanna, by Sadler's Wells), Weston dug down deep to score by a neck over Girther in the Best Pal Stakes (USA-G2) at 6 furlongs on the main track. While his time was unimpressive, the professional demeanor he displayed both in the paddock and after getting shuffled back early stood him in good stead, and no one can fault the determination he displayed in his final surge to the wire.
While dirt was not Hit It a Bomb's forte, the distaff side of Weston's pedigree gave good reason for trying the gelding on the main track. He is a member of the family of Passing Look, which has had some turf and distance successes but has been at its best at intermediate distances or less and on the dirt.
A Buckpasser half sister to the Northern Dancer horse Gay Jitterbug, who was a Grade 3 winner on turf and Grade 2-placed on dirt, Passing Look was stakes-placed on dirt at 2 and 3. Like many other daughters of Buckpasser, she proved a valuable broodmare, producing three stakes-winning fillies by perennial Canadian champion sire Vice Regent as well as the Northern Dancer mare Look North, dam of Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba; a Grade 3 winner at 7 and 8 furlongs) and second dam of 2000 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Archer City Slew.
None of Passing Look's stakes-winning fillies produced any stakes winners themselves, but all are the second or third dams of graded stakes winners. The eldest of the trio is In My Cap, who won six stakes restricted to Canadian-breds at 2 and 3 and ran second in the 1985 Canadian Oaks. She produced stakes-placed Bright Feather (by Fappiano), who in turn produced 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1) winner Albert the Great (by 1994 Kentucky Derby, USA-G1, winner Go for Gin) and listed stakes winners Watch the Bird (by Rahy) and Sheer Bliss (by Relaunch). Bright Feather is also the second dam of listed stakes winner Itsmyluckycharm, and through other daughters, In My Cap is the second dam of 2012 Autumn Stakes (CAN-G2) winner James Street and 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ask Me No Secrets and the third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall and 2014 Illinois Derby (USA-G3) winner Dynamic Impact.
In My Cap's youngest sister Passing Vice was an even more accomplished racer, winning the 1993 Bay Meadows Oaks (USA-G3) and placing in the 1992 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (USA-G1) and three other graded stakes races. She was less accomplished as a producer, but via her Gulch daughter Crime, she is the second dam of 2007 St. Simon Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Crime Scene and the third dam of multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Old Bunch.
Trumpet's Blare, the "middle sister" among Passing Look's daughters, reached the highest level as a racehorse, winning the 1989 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1) and four other stakes events. If anything, she was an even more disappointing producer than her sisters, as neither she nor any of her daughters produced any stakes winners. Nonetheless, her unraced daughter Call to the Post (by Mt. Livermore) produced multiple stakes-placed Elke (by Dixie Union), and after a disappointing previous broodmare career, Elke produced Weston as her seventh named foal. She has since produced a 2019 filly by Tapiture and a 2020 colt by Speightster.
On paper, Weston does not seem likely to want distances beyond an extended mile, but his pedigree does suggest enough versatility that a later trial on turf should not be ruled out. He may not turn out to be a great horse, but he is at least one worth giving a passing look.
While dirt was not Hit It a Bomb's forte, the distaff side of Weston's pedigree gave good reason for trying the gelding on the main track. He is a member of the family of Passing Look, which has had some turf and distance successes but has been at its best at intermediate distances or less and on the dirt.
A Buckpasser half sister to the Northern Dancer horse Gay Jitterbug, who was a Grade 3 winner on turf and Grade 2-placed on dirt, Passing Look was stakes-placed on dirt at 2 and 3. Like many other daughters of Buckpasser, she proved a valuable broodmare, producing three stakes-winning fillies by perennial Canadian champion sire Vice Regent as well as the Northern Dancer mare Look North, dam of Raja's Revenge (by Raja Baba; a Grade 3 winner at 7 and 8 furlongs) and second dam of 2000 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Archer City Slew.
None of Passing Look's stakes-winning fillies produced any stakes winners themselves, but all are the second or third dams of graded stakes winners. The eldest of the trio is In My Cap, who won six stakes restricted to Canadian-breds at 2 and 3 and ran second in the 1985 Canadian Oaks. She produced stakes-placed Bright Feather (by Fappiano), who in turn produced 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (USA-G1) winner Albert the Great (by 1994 Kentucky Derby, USA-G1, winner Go for Gin) and listed stakes winners Watch the Bird (by Rahy) and Sheer Bliss (by Relaunch). Bright Feather is also the second dam of listed stakes winner Itsmyluckycharm, and through other daughters, In My Cap is the second dam of 2012 Autumn Stakes (CAN-G2) winner James Street and 2002 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G3) winner Ask Me No Secrets and the third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Rushing Fall and 2014 Illinois Derby (USA-G3) winner Dynamic Impact.
In My Cap's youngest sister Passing Vice was an even more accomplished racer, winning the 1993 Bay Meadows Oaks (USA-G3) and placing in the 1992 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (USA-G1) and three other graded stakes races. She was less accomplished as a producer, but via her Gulch daughter Crime, she is the second dam of 2007 St. Simon Stakes (ENG-G3) winner Crime Scene and the third dam of multiple Argentine Group 2 winner Old Bunch.
Trumpet's Blare, the "middle sister" among Passing Look's daughters, reached the highest level as a racehorse, winning the 1989 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (USA-G1) and four other stakes events. If anything, she was an even more disappointing producer than her sisters, as neither she nor any of her daughters produced any stakes winners. Nonetheless, her unraced daughter Call to the Post (by Mt. Livermore) produced multiple stakes-placed Elke (by Dixie Union), and after a disappointing previous broodmare career, Elke produced Weston as her seventh named foal. She has since produced a 2019 filly by Tapiture and a 2020 colt by Speightster.
On paper, Weston does not seem likely to want distances beyond an extended mile, but his pedigree does suggest enough versatility that a later trial on turf should not be ruled out. He may not turn out to be a great horse, but he is at least one worth giving a passing look.
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