Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive. Adare Manor Jan. 7, 8th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67.5k Beyer: 92 1M 1:36.66 – 1st by 12 lengths b. f. 3, Uncle Mo – Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed 2020 – $180,000; Fasig-Tipton select yearling 2020 – $190,000 (RNA); OBS 2-year-olds and horses of racing age 2021 – $375,000 Owner: Michael Lund Petersen Trainer: Bob Baffert Breeder: Town and Country Farm and Gary Broad Third start but her first time routing (and racing on Lasix), and it’s definitely fair to call this a breakout performance. She showed enough sprint speed in her debut, where, like here, she broke from post 1, to make the lead, and was just nipped in a Santa Anita maiden race in October, but Adare Manor showed no improvement, and might have regressed, sprinting second time out at Del Mar. In this two-turn maiden she jumped on top, churned along on a clear lead, and, with a 24.48-second final quarter-mile, buried five foes. On paper the opposition looked at least decent, though it’s entirely possible she knocked around inferior rivals. Everything about the filly suggests a strong galloping route type who will stay nine furlongs, at least, and her dam, effective on synthetic and dirt, was very much a route horse. First foal to race from that dam, who hails from a fairly workaday family by blue-blooded standards, though Adare Manor was popular enough at auction. We’ll learn more next start, surely a stakes race – though we learned here that Adare Manor looks like a stakes horse.  Volcanic Jan. 8, 7th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt50k Beyer: 83 1M 1:36.15 – 1st by a neck b. c. 3, Violence – Pulpit Angel, by Pulpit Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $230,000 Owner: Breeze Easy LLC Trainer: Mark Casse Breeder: Don Alberto Corp. Off a second-start, third-place finish in a Saratoga maiden race, Volcanic was tried in the Grade 1 Hopeful, where he finished a distant seventh at 47-1, but I guess you could kind of see from this performance why connections gave him that shot. This start followed a four-month layoff, was his first in blinkers and the longest trip he’s tried, and everything aligned to produce easily his best showing. The margin of victory was narrow, but it was a dozen lengths from the runner-up to the show horses as Volcanic and the Todd Pletcher-trained first-time starter Charge It hooked up from the start and raced lapped alongside one another the entire trip. Charge It, running nearer the rail, looked like he might push out to a clear lead as the two cornered into the homestretch, but that was just the geometric advantage being inside. Volcanic quickly reengaged and finally wore down his less-experienced rival in the waning strides. His gallop-out was fine, and the colt made a decent physical impression, but this had to be a hard race for both horses, and we’ll see how quickly they bounce back. Volcanic’s dam herself lacked ontrack accomplishment but is a sister to two graded stakes winners, Sapphire n’ Silk and Golden Itiz. Mouffy Jan. 8, 3rd race Gulfstream, MdSpWt53k Beyer: 81 5f Tapeta 56.63 – 1st by 1 3/4 lengths b. f. 3, Uncle Mo – Truly Together, by Smart Strike Owner: Augustin Stables Trainer: Jonathan Thomas Breeder: George Strawbridge This is the first foal to race from Truly Together, a stakes-placed filly whose dam is the truly excellent Forever Together, also a George Strawbridge homebred. Forever Together hasn’t been able to transmit her ability to her offspring – Truly Together is her only foal among six to race to do as much as place in a stakes – but Mouffy caught the eye. She came under some urging early in this short sprint – it makes sense that a filly bred to route would lack the natural speed for a five-furlong dash – but once she engaged the pacesetting favorite, Mouffy traveled pretty sweetly under a hand ride. She wore down the runner-up through the final furlong and galloped out far in front, and should eventually become a turf-route horse. Soy Tapatio Jan. 8, 2nd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67k Beyer: 93 1 1/16M 1:44.75 – 1st by 6 1/4 lengths b. g. 4, Not This Time – Rum Punch, by Street Hero Auctions: Keeneland January all ages 2019 – $5,000; Fasig-Tipton October yearling 2019 – $9,000 (RNA); OBS 2-year-olds and horses of racing age 2020 – $27,000 Owner: Mercado Racing Trainer: Doug O’Neill Breeder: Miklin Stables and Five Fillies The winter surge for sire Not This Time continues, and the 105 Beyer from Shaaz’s debut on Dec. 26 gets some validation here. Soy Tapatio had been third, beaten five lengths by Shaaz last month, but no one was beating him in this two-turn dirt maiden after he made a clear lead from post 1 and settled into a strong rhythm under a five-pound apprentice rider. The track might have helped, and perhaps this entire set of Southern California older dirt-maiden figures is overrating the populace, but this gelding has come along encouragingly through his five-start career. His progress is especially impressive when you look at the auction history – they couldn’t even raise a bid of $9,000 at a 2019 yearling auction. He’s definitely not the flashiest mover, but was amply effective on the day. Carmel Crush Jan. 3, 6th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt40k Beyer: 94 1 1/16M (off turf) 1:44.08 – 1st by 8 1/2 lengths b. g. 4, California Chrome – Journey On, by Good Journey Auctions: Fasig-Tipton October yearling 2019 – $50,000 Owner: Ten Strike Racing and Raquel Ritchie Trainer: Matt Shirer Breeder: KatieRich Farms Sixth start for this 4-year-old gelding, but his first time going two turns on dirt and his third race wearing blinkers. Caveats: This race was carded for turf and scratched down to five runners, and the Fair Grounds main track has been kind most of the meet to early-speed horses like Carmel Crush. All that said, this was a visually impressive performance, and Carmel Crush, who ran a good race going nine furlongs on turf last June, quickened up past the quarter pole more like a grass horse than a front-running dirt performer. He was under only the mildest of encouragement to widen his lead and none after the rider looked at the video board and saw the vast gap to the nearest pursuer. At this relatively late stage of his career, his ceiling can’t be especially high, but this single race, at least, was very nice.