Breakout Beyers: Bandita steals off to easy, fast, impressive maiden win

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

Bandita

Jan. 29, 4th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 91
7 furlongs 1:22.77 – 1st by 8 3/4 lengths
b. f. 3, Gun Runner – Tricky One, by Unbridled’s Song
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $350,000
Owner: Bass Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: International Equities Holdings

There were limited dirt races on this card, so it’s hard to really contextualize the fractional and final times here, though race 9 was a seven-furlong 3-year-old first-level allowance that went 22.86 and 46.20 on the way to a final time of 1:24.06. Bandita set splits of 23.46 and 46.98, so this apparently was a slow-early, fast-late race shape, rare both for the Gulfstream dirt and early-season 3-year-olds. Visually, the filly looked very impressive. She’s got a sweet, efficient stride that definitely seems like it ought to translate to route racing, and Bandita was relaxed and comfortable rating on the lead. Her homestretch lead change came a touch late, but when she did change leads, the filly took off under hand encouragement from Irad Ortiz Jr. Her sterling closing time came despite a miscue at about the sixteenth pole, where Bandita (who didn’t race in blinkers or a shadow roll), appeared to see something to her right that caught her attention, causing another lead change and a brief loss of rhythm. Could be a start in the making if her development goes the right direction.

Geaux Rocket Ride

Jan. 29, 3rd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67k
Beyer: 92
6 furlongs 1:09.52 – 1st by 5 3/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Candy Ride – Beyond Grace, by Uncle Mo
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling 2021 - $350,000
Owner: Pin Oak Stable
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Breeder: OXO Equine

A flashy Southern California debut 3-year-old winner not trained by Bob Baffert: Who knew it was possible? Baffert in fact had the 1-2 favorite here, Sonoran, who pressed Geaux Rocket Ride in the early stages but got left in his wake through the homestretch. Racing without blinkers, a shadow roll, or even a noseband for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Geaux Rocket Ride broke from post 2 and was hustled into the lead by Flavien Prat. The colt is very fast, getting his half-mile in 44.62, but most impressive was the manner in which he finished. Prat went to a strong hand ride at the quarter pole, gave his mount two left-handed pops of the crop approaching the eighth pole and got a big response, and with one more left-hander at the sixteenth pole, Geaux Rocket Ride went very strongly to the wire, getting his last furlong in 12.36 off a five-furlong split of 57.16. He also was headed for a huge gallop-out before Prat reined him in a half-furlong past the finish. The lightly raced dam failed to win in three career starts, two dirt sprints and a turf mile, and the second dam mainly was a sprinter, though in a general sense, this pedigree lends itself to a middle distance. The horse’s shape and stride give the impression of a sprinter-miler type, though the finishing kick and gallop-out suggest otherwise.

Mage

Dec. 28, 2nd race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 89
7 furlongs 1:22.54 – 1st by 3 3/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Gun Runner – Puca, by Big Brown
Noteworthy siblings: Gunning (Gun Runner, foaled 2019) – stakes-placed
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 - $235,000; Fasig-Tipton Timonium spring 2yo 2022 - $290,000
Owner: OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, CMNWLTH
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Breeder: Grandview Equine

Was quiet on the tote board at more than 11-1 but won like a good thing in his career debut. Mage is the second foal to race out of Puca, a stakes horse for Bill Mott who ran competitively at a distance as far as 1 1/4 miles. Puca’s other foal to race, the 4-year-old filly Gunning, showed seven-furlong talent early in 2022 and is training at Oaklawn toward a long-layoff comeback. This colt hesitated breaking from post 2 and upon finding his stride was dead sent for the lead by jockey Edgar Perez, getting to the front after a half-furlong or so. Mage took outside pace pressure down the backstretch and partway around the turn before rapidly leaving his pace rival before the five-sixteenths pole. He changed leads professionally in upper stretch and edged away to the finish under moderate to strong urging, appearing to gallop out decently (the gallop-out presentation at this track is lacking). A good number, a convincing win, though not exactly a thing of beauty; Mage is not a pretty-moving horse, somewhat awkward if very effective on debut.

Maker’s Candy

Jan. 28, 9th race Aqueduct, NY-bred MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 90
1 mile 1:39.05 – 1st by 6 3/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Twirling Candy – Purple Cat, by Bluegrass Cat
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton preferred NY-bred yearling 2021 - $97,000; Fasig-Tipton March select 2yo 2022 - $250,000
Owner: Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Maxis Stable
Trainer: Mike Maker
Breeder: Newtownanner Stud

Like mother like son: The dam, who’s had several foals to race, none especially talented, also was a second-start maiden winner over one mile. Maker’s Candy added Lasix while stretching out from a fourth going seven furlongs and was hard sent by a five-pound apprentice rider from an outside post to get early position. Unable to cross and clear two other horses, he took up a pressing position while three paths wide into and around the turn, getting into second at the three-furlong pole before taking total command before the five-sixteenths. His move from the three-eighths to the quarter pole was eye-catching, his stretch run almost as strong – New York-bred or otherwise. The colt has a bounding stride with some high knee action that might suit turf, too, but he goes with a lot of energy and appears to have no distance limitations.