Breakout Beyers: Cezanne makes impression in highly anticipated debut

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

Cezanne

June 6, 6th race, Santa Anita, MdSpWt51k
Beyer: 90
6 1/2f, dirt fast, 1:16.13, 1st by 2 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Curlin–Achieving, by Bernardini
Noteworthy siblings: Counterforce – stakes winner $323K
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton March select 2yo 2019 – $3,650,000
Owner: Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, St. Elias Stable
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and St. Elias Stable

Tiny blinkers and a shadow roll from debut, which was VERY good. Here’s what struck me most: You look at the half-mile split here, 44.73 seconds, see Cezanne keeping up but doing so with the stride rhythm of a route horse. He is an easy, easy goer who certainly didn’t appear to be working at all in this win and additionally showed professionalism. Broke from the rail, held position early, came between horses to challenge for the lead before the half-mile, fought off a pace rival, and ran by himself much of the homestretch with a good gallop-out. The lone stakes-winning sibling was a sprinter, but he’s got Curlin on the top and his third dam, Better Than Honour, is among the most celebrated American broodmares having produced two Belmont Stakes winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches, in addition to the Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Man of Iron. Very exciting to see what the summer and fall brings.

Prisoner

June 3, 3rd race. Belmont, MdSpWt62k
Beyer: 80
5f, dirt good, 58.42, 1st by 4 3/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Violence–Al Max Diner, by End Sweep
Noteworthy siblings: Manuka Honey – Suncoast Stakes
Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2018 – $180,000; Saratoga select yearling 2019 – RNA $195,000; OBS March 2020 2yo – $175,000
Owner: Repole Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Buck Pond Farm

Mike Repole just bought this colt (who cost more as a weanling than a 2-year-old) in March and got a quick return here. Hard-ridden from gate to make the early lead over favored colt Fauci, who stuck his neck in front with about three furlongs to race. Prisoner held his ground along the inside, surged back at the quarter pole, was clearly doing the better work at the furlong grounds, and drew away to a decisive victory, galloping out well in front, for whatever that’s worth here. Some of these early New York 2-year-old winners do all right, but more often than not their precocity turns out to be a defining characteristic. This colt appears to have enough scope and stride to at least make it through longer sprints, and deeper into the family you’ll find both stamina and grass.

Lonesome Fugitive

June 6, 11th race, Belmont, MdSpWt64k
Beyer: 81
1M, turf yielding, 1:38.77, 1st by neck
b. c. 3, Zoffany–Take the Ribbon, by Chester House
Noteworthy siblings: Take These Chains ($201K turf middle distance)
Auctions: None
Owner: Eurowest Bloodstock and John Gunther
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: John Gunther

More impressive than the bare margin of victory. He was getting a good trip until inside passage led to him getting shuffled back around the far turn, and at the three-eighths pole, as the eventual runner-up coasted on an easy lead, he was buried. Got off the fence before the homestretch and got to the far outside between the three-sixteenths and eighth poles, began gaining steadily while racing on the wrong lead, and finally kicked fully into gear after changing leads and leveling off. Ran a fast final quarter-mile and still has room to improve, clearly. By a miler type out of a miler type and ought to be a miler type.

Ennis the Menace

June 7, 6th race, Woodbine, MdSpWt$48k
Beyer: 84
5f, Tapeta Footings, 57.57, 1st by 1 length
gr. g. 3, Frac Daddy–Kamaina Rose, by Royal Academy
Noteworthy siblings: Royal Blessing – $415K earnings
Auctions: Canadian Ontario September yearling 2018 – $46,482
Owner: Gus Vlahos
Trainer: Michael DePaulo
Breeder: Richard Moylan

On the one hand, he got an absolutely dream trip stalking the leaders while saving all the ground and slipping through along the fence before the quarter pole. On the other, credit to the gelding for having the acceleration to skip through that hole, and then displaying the tenacity to re-rally and draw off late after the horse he’d passed at the quarter pole came back to retake the lead at the furlong grounds. Quick horse without a lot of size. Pedigree says he could get a mile and might like turf.