Andrew Beyer: Mashallah's maiden win earned figure that belongs in the pantheon

Maiden races at Keeneland frequently produce impressive performances, but the victory on Thursday by a 3-year-old filly first-time starter named Mashallah was not merely impressive. It was historic.

Mashallah dueled for the lead, drew off in the stretch to win by nearly four lengths, and covered six furlongs in 1:09.49. At first glance, that time might not appear exceptional, but on a racing surface that was not super-fast, it translated into a Beyer Speed Figure of 106. It was the fastest performance by a first-time starter in 14 years, equaling the 106 recorded by a Bob Baffert trainee, Roman Threat, at Santa Anita in 2012. The short list of horses who have bettered 106 in their debuts includes the multiple Grade 1 stakes winner Formal Gold and the freaky but ill-fated Maclean's Music.

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Mashallah looked like a potential star when she stepped into an auction ring in Florida and commanded a price of $1.25 million. She is by the stallion Maxfield, who is off to a fast start in his career at stud, and from the dam All in With Aces, who produced the Grade 1 stakes winner Hard Aces.

A total of 19 horses have earned Beyer Speed Figures of 106 or higher in their debuts, and 17 of them subsequently earned a figure of 100 or higher at least once. This group of horses earned triple-digit Beyers an average of five times in their careers. These statistics should give trainer Brendan Walsh grounds for optimism as he plots Mashallah's future.

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