Breakout Beyers: Banishing relegates rivals

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

Banishing
Dec. 26, 7th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt60k
Beyer: 90
1 1/16 miles 1:44.80 – 1st by 8 1/2 lengths
b. c. 2, Ghostzapper – Dowager, by A.P. Indy
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Breeder: Godolphin

The fractional times for this maiden route at Fair Ground (24.33, 47.73, 1:13.96) are all over the place, but there’s no questioning how visually impressive Banishing was scoring this second-start win while clocking a faster raw time than Jace’s Road in the Gun Runner later on the same card. Fourth at 20-1 in his one-turn mile debut, Banishing, adding Lasix, was bet down to 2-1 and made that look generous. He stumbled slightly at the start but still had speed to make a clear lead into the first turn, and if you believe the split, his 23.40-second quarter-mile suggested a fairly strong pace that didn’t appear wind-aided. The official fractions say he decelerated radically around the turn to a 26.24 quarter-mile; supporting the timing is the fact several rivals closed the gap, one of them perhaps even poking his head in front before the quarter pole. That didn’t last long, Banishing quickly picking up his tempo as he cornered for the wire, putting plenty of distance on the pursuers by the eighth pole. Would not call his stride a perfect thing of beauty but the colt does travel well enough. This was the best 2-year-old maiden win this Fair Grounds meet.

Faustin
Dec. 26, 5th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt68.5k
Beyer: 89
6 furlongs 1:10.08 – 1st by 2 3/4 lengths
gr. c. 2, Curlin – Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 - $285,000 (RNA); OBS spring 2yo 2022 - $800,000
Owner: Michael Lund Petersen
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: DATTT Farm

Faustin was bet down to 4-5 like a can’t-lose Baffert-trained first-time starter but, stylistically, didn’t run like one. Most of this type (expensive 2-year-old purchase crushed in wagering on debut) possess positional pace if not brilliant speed, but Faustin was outrun in the early stages and had to be ridden along just to maintain contact with the lead pack. Tellingly, the jockey was able to ease up on the rein-pumping as Faustin found a rhythm around the turn at the turn, but full of momentum at the quarter pole, Faustin went for a hole three wide between horses that closed before he got there, forcing the rider to steer right off heels. Outside and in the clear, Faustin picked up very strongly to pounce on the leaders and draw away to an easy win over his stablemate Sonoran. Faustin was shut down just past the wire (standard for a Baffert debut runner) but probably could’ve turned in a huge gallop-out had he been permitted. Third foal to race from a dam who was a three-time Grade 1-winner in turf routes up to nine furlongs – which makes this sprint showing even more noteworthy considering Faustin likely is better suited to routing.

Forest Chimes
Dec. 31, 10th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt50k
Beyer: 79
1 1/16 miles (good/sealed) 1:47.34 – 1st by 7 1/2 lengths
b. f. 2, Tonalist – Seqouia Queen, by Forestry
Noteworthy siblings: Top Decile (Congrats / foaled 2012) – multiple G1-placed, $520K earnings; Ginja (Elusive Quality / foaled 2018) – stakes-placed, $106k earnings
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton summer yearling 2021 - $35,000
Owner: NBS Stable
Trainer: Jason Barkley
Breeder: Clarkland Farm

We’ve got $800,000 auction purchases on the list this week – and then there’s this filly, snapped up for a mere $35,000. She almost earned that back in purse money alone and surely would be valued in the hundreds of thousands on the private market following this blowout score in her career debut. A tepid 13-1, Forest Chimes traveled sweetly from the start, coming under the lightest encouragement past the half-mile pole as jockey Corey Lanerie plotted final tactics that turned out to be relatively moot considering his mount’s ultimate dominance. Lanerie tipped wide at the three-sixteenths pole and asked Forest Chimes for more, which she instantly gave, closing ground to draw alongside the leaders at the quarter pole. The filly had surged to the lead before the furlong grounds while drifting slightly inward, straightening out and drawing clear to a going-away win followed by a big gallop-out that sent her some 20 lengths in front. The wet, sealed track seemed funky, and the competition might have been soft, but can’t deny the eye-catching nature of this race.

Shesterkin
Dec. 31, 2nd race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 84
7 furlongs 1:24.18 – 1st by 2 1/4 lengths
b. f. 2, Violence – Freedom Star, by Street Cry
Noteworthy siblings: Brookys Star (Giant’s Causeway/foaled 2013) – stakes winner, $105K earnings; Upandcomingstar (Into Mischief / foaled 2018) – stakes-placed, $164K earnings
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 - $55,000 (RNA); OBS yearling 2021 - $24,000 (RNA); OBS March 2yo 2022 - $330,000
Owner: Robert LaPenta
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: George Krikorian

What a transformation this filly must have made, failing to meet a $24,000 reserve as an October yearling before selling for $330,000 the following March. She didn’t post an official workout until October, when she showed up at Palm Beach Downs, and Pletcher obviously had her dead ready for this debut. Breaking alertly from an inside draw, Shesterkin made the lead while taking mild pressure through the early and middle stages. The jockey left the rail open at the head of the homestretch, and Case, a first-time starter co-favored at 2-1, rushed into that space, getting on terms with Shesterkin in upper stretch. Case came out and bumped Shesterkin, who maintained her straight course, Case quickly losing momentum as Shesterkin stayed strong to the wire. This is a big, powerful filly who didn’t seem the least intimidated by contact in her first race. On pedigree one wouldn’t see her as a serious stretch-out candidate, but she did handle seven furlongs first time out and ought to at least get a one-turn mile.

Sun Thunder
Dec. 31, 4th race Oaklawn, MdSpWt90k
Beyer: 77
1 mile 1:39.42 – 1st by 6 1/2 lengths
b. c. 2, Into Mischief – Greenfield d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton fall mixed 2020 - $400,000; Fasig-Tipton select yearling Saratoga 2021 - $495,000 (RNA)
Owner: R T Racing Stable
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Breeder: Southern Equine Stables

The Beyer came back modest, and this full-field maiden route was an exercise in deceleration, even the runaway winner requiring a staggering (literally) 51.06 seconds to complete his final half-mile. The times somewhat put a lie to the encouraging visual, second-time starter Sun Thunder making a wide, powerful far-turn move to from seventh to first within a furlong – somewhat, but not entirely. This is a beast of a colt, massive and powerful, and he might turn out better than the figure.

Johannes
Dec. 31, 5th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 89
6 furlongs (good turf) 1:08.04 – 1st by 9 lengths
b. c. 2, Nyquist – Cuyathy, by Congrats
Owner: Cuyathy LLC
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Breeder: Cuyathy LLC

He’d run well when third on dirt two months ago, but nothing like this turf debut. Stuck down inside two pace rivals, Johannes came through to take the lead around the far turn, and after showing good speed also turned in easily the fastest quarter-mile among 11 runners to win by a margin especially wide by turf-sprint standards. First foal to race from a sprinting dam. He may or may not get a mile, and this grass course, which took rain, looked a little funky. Those are the grains of salt in an otherwise sweet showing.