First starter for Hit It a Bomb impresses on debut in Santa Anita MdSpWt

Spendthrift Farm freshman sire Hit It a Bomb got on the board early and in a big way on Sunday, as his first ever starter – a 2-year-old named Weston – impressed on debut with an open-lengths victory in a $50,000 Maiden Special Weight race at Santa Anita. WATCH

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Weston showed good speed from the gate and ran his rivals off their feet, repelling a challenge in the stretch by Ambivalent – a $550,000 2-year-old purchase – to post a decisive 1 1/4-length win. The final time was 52.27 for the 4 1/2 furlongs over a fast local main track, earning a 93 Equibase speed rating.

Trained by Ryan Hanson, Weston earned $30,000 for Hanson and fellow owner Chris Drakos. The promising bay was bred in Kentucky by EVADI Farm Team and is out of the three-time stakes-placed juvenile Elke, by Dixie Union.

Hit It a Bomb first got recognition in 2020 at the OBS March sale when his first 2-year-old, a filly, sold for $200,000. Now, his first runner to hit the racetrack has continued the fast start at stud after finding the winner’s circle on debut. Preciousness runs in the family, as Hit It a Bomb was unbeaten in three starts on two different continents as a 2-year-old, including winning the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-G1 at Keeneland from the 14-hole for world-class trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Hit It a Bomb, who stands for a fee of $5,000 S&N, remains as the only Breeders’ Cup champion by his elite sire, War Front. He is participating in Spendthrift’s renowned breeding program for freshman sires – the Safe Bet program – in 2020, which guarantees breeders a graded stakes-winning 2-year-old from his first crop this year or no stud fee will be owed in 2021 when the resulting foal is born.

By the early look of things, Hit It a Bomb’s first 2-year-olds are set to make some noise.