Breakout Beyers: B Dawk blows up in blowout maiden victory at Keeneland

Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.

B Dawk

April 24, 8th race Keeneland, MdSpWt100k

Beyer: 92

7 furlongs 184 feet (Beard Course) 1:27.05 – 1st by 11 1/4 lengths

ch. c. 3, Gormley – Mott N Hester, by Super Saver

Auctions: Keeneland January all ages 2020 – $77,000; Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $140,000; Fasig-Tipton spring 2yo – $425,000

Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds and Joseph Besecker

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Breeder: Small Batch Thoroughbreds and Robert Fetkin

This was a “where’d that come from?” performance, a fifth-time starter making a 26-point Beyer Speed Figure leap. Natural maturation and improvement likely played a part, but the removal of blinkers likely made a serious difference, and B Dawk in this extended sprint was racing farther than he had before while also starting outside of California for the first time. Broke alertly, responded to rating while pressing the pacesetter, whom he and first-time starter Exact Estimate zipped past approaching the half-mile pole. B Dawk and Exact Estimate slugged it out around the turn before B Dawk asserted in upper stretch, failing to promptly change leads even while drawing clear. When he did switch, between the three-sixteenths and the eighth poles, he found new life and pulled farther clear to an impressive score. Not the sweetest mover but obviously he was very effective in this race.

Casa de Goat

April 23, 6th race Keeneland, MdSpWt99.5k

Beyer: 81

7 furlongs 184 feet (Beard Course) 1:27.96 – 1st by 12 3/4 lengths

b. f. 3, Twirling Candy – Senorita Corredora, by El Corredor

Noteworthy siblings: Holiday’s Angel (Harlan’s Holiday) – multiple stakes-placed, $196K earnings

Owner: Elm Racing

Trainer: Brad Cox

Breeder: Elm Racing

The filly came into her career debut showing fast workout times, and the guy who trains her has won two Eclipse Awards in a row. Sure, those factors contributed to her going off the 4-5 favorite, but the look of the race on paper – very soft, to be blunt – drove the win price even lower. Casa de Goat (her second dam is named Scapegoat) broke sharply from the rail, made a clear early lead while traveling comfortably and proceeded to bury this bunch. She had them all off the bridle and struggling at the three-furlong pole, but the filly herself appeared to struggle a bit in the homestretch. Slow to change leads, she lost momentum even while drawing steadily clear; there’s quite a disconnect between a Keeneland maiden special weight win of nearly 13 lengths and a Beyer Speed Figure of just 81.

James Aloysius

April 23, 11th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt43k

Beyer: 81

7 1/2f turf 1:27.70 – 1st by 2 lengths

b. c. 3, More than Ready – Olorda, by Lord of England

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $200,000

Owner: West Paces Racing

Trainer: Danny Gargan

Breeder: Martin Schwartz

Like this colt more than his 81 Beyer. He’s the first foal to race produced by Olorda, a German-bred multiple graded stakes winner, including races over

1 1/2 miles on turf. James Aloysius debuted last summer with a fine second going 1 1/16 miles on turf at Saratoga, and you’d have to think this

7 1/2-furlong contest was shorter than his ideal trip. In a related note, he did gallop out very strongly, pulling far in front of all his rivals, at least as far as the track video took us. Moreover, he was four wide going into the first turn, took a bump and was pushed even farther out, forcing the rider to commit early and let his mount run up to engage the leader before hitting the backstretch. James Aloysius tried to get a little strong but soon was pricking his ears and responding to rating tactics, picking up his tempo nicely when asked for more run around the far turn. He has a long, generous, exuberant stride, and I am interested to see how he can develop at longer distances this summer.

Loyalty

April 24, 4th race Woodbine, MdSpWt66k

Beyer: 83

6f (Tapeta) 1:09.93 – 1st by 3 3/4 lengths

b. f. 3, Hard Spun – Slew’s Quality, by Quality Road

Noteworthy siblings: Shamrock Rose (First Dude) – BC Filly and Mare Sprint winner, $969k earnings

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $270,000

Owner: Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods

Trainer: Josie Carroll

Breeder: Best A Luck Farm and Godolphin

The unraced dam already has produced a Breeders’ Cup winner, and while this filly has a long way to go to reach that level, this was an eye-catching if somewhat delayed career debut. The filly did work three times last May and June, then didn’t post an official breeze until December, after which she maintained a regular pattern into this start. A horse breaking outside her came in and Loyalty narrowly avoided getting badly squeezed and pinched back, instead falling into an excellent trip for a first-time starter, stalking then pressing the pace while racing in the clear. She took the lead about the three-sixteenths pole and steadily drew clear, a performance more professional and solid than brilliant. Speed from the dam’s side but the sire’s offspring average winning distance is 8.4 furlongs.

Greatheart

April 22, 4th race Oaklawn, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 92

1M 1:37.45 – 1st by 1 3/4 lengths

b. g. 4, Empire Maker – Atala, by Stormy Atlantic

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $400,000

Owner: Shortleaf Stable

Trainer: John Ortiz

Breeder: Don Alberto Corp.

Lots of female family here. The third dam, Courtly Dee, was an excellent producer while second dam Aishah produced Grade 1 winner Aldiza and multiple graded stakes winner Atelier. This horse sold for a bundle, made one start in October 2020, and then didn’t race for a year and a half. He got a 69 Beyer in his comeback start, but that leapt up to 89 second time out before this overdue maiden win. One wouldn’t say he scored with a lot left in the tank here: Greatheart came under a heavy drive at the five-sixteenths pole, at which point you’d have thought that 6-5 pacesetting favorite Best Bet was going easier. Instead, Greatheart collared Best Bet before the eighth pole and pushed on to victory, though he quickly was passed on the gallop-out by the runner-up, Tiwanaku. Four-year-old maidens with 18-month layoffs – those are clearly not the hottest prospects in the game.