Breakout Beyers: Cocktail Moments might route

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

Cocktail Moments

Nov. 27, 4th race Churchill, MdSpWt122k

Beyer: 77

7f 1:23.28 – 1st by 9 1/4 lengths

b. f. 2, Uncle Mo – River Maid, by Where’s the Ring

Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2019 – $135,000; Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $190,000; OBS Marc 2021 – $245,000 (RNA)

Owner: Dixiana Farms

Trainer: Ken McPeek

Breeder: Mark Stansell

Not questioning the figure, but this filly could turn out to be much better than the Beyer number she earned for her career debut. (Ed. note: the Beyer Figure was adjusted downward to 77 from 79.) Time will tell, and since her dam, a stakes horse, was a pure sprinter, maybe she doesn’t have routes in her future, but she sure moves like a route horse and good horses by her sire, Uncle Mo, typically want at least one mile. The early and middle pace was solid, but the race didn’t fall apart as the pacesetter held on to finish second and Cocktail Moments proved the only closer to make real headway. And goodness, what headway she made. At the three-furlong marker the filly had commenced her run but still trailed the leader by some 15 lengths, so I’d guess she went from that pole to the finish in roughly 35 seconds. At the eighth pole, Cocktail Moments still hadn’t made the lead, and for a first-time starter to go from that position to a 9 1/4-length winner – that’s breathing rare air. She hardly eased up at the wire, either, and while the gallop-out was truncated in replay (sigh – will this never get corrected?) Cocktail Moments had opened up some 15 lengths before reaching the seven-furlong pole. Excited to see what comes next.

Golden Glider

Nov. 27, 6th race Woodbine, MdSpWt67k

Beyer: 76

1 1/16 miles Tapeta 1:45.25 – 1st by 1 length

ch. c. 2, Ghostzapper – Golden Scarf, by Orientate

Noteworthy siblings: Glamanation (Point of Entry) – stakes winner, $176K earnings

Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2019 – $395,000

Owner: Conrad Farms

Trainer: Mark Casse

Breeder: Nursery Place and Dicken Equine

His career got off to a difficult start when the horse breaking to his inside made a right turn out of the gate, causing Golden Glider’s rider to steady and take him back to last among a dozen all-weather-surface routers. The opening half-mile split went in a tepid 49.08 seconds, at which point Golden Glider split rivals to move all the way up to – 10th place. He still had only two behind him while getting shuffled a bit at the three-furlong marker, the jockey having to await room, which came at the five-sixteenths pole. Golden Glider was traveling strongly but still was only eighth at the top of the stretch, and it was only after coming off heels and getting to the far outside at the furlong grounds that this colt looked like he might actually win. Win he did, bounding to the front in the final 50 yards as the jockey wrapped up. That was a lot to overcome for an unraced colt, who clearly has talent to spare. His third dam is Passing Mood, who produced Belmont-Haskell winner Touch Gold and Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval. One would think this talented prospect will be given a chance on dirt over the winter.

Send For Me

Nov. 27, 6th race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k

Beyer: 80

6.5f 1:19.29 – 1st by 7 lengths

b. f. 2, Into Mischief – Versailles Song, by Unbridled’s Song

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $250,000; OBS spring 2-year-olds 2021 – $500,000

Owner: Augustin Stable

Trainer: Jonathan Thomas

Breeder: Don Alberto Corp.

Fifth foal to race from a dam who hasn’t yet produced much but is a sister to Grade 1 winner George Vancouver and Grade 2 winner Saarland and is the daughter of four-time Grade 1 winner Versailles Treaty. All that pedigree and the filly looks like a physical specimen, too, so one can see why she fetched strong auction prices as a yearling and a 2-year-old. Broke alertly and made the lead without being sent; you can tell from the raw time and the Beyer Speed Figure that this racing surface was radically slow, and I’d expect the adjusted pace figures to suggest she went a decent clip. The most impressive part of a generally impressive showing came between the quarter pole, where a horse came outside to engage her, and the three-sixteenths, by which time she had opened a lead of about four lengths. In other words, the filly cornered with unusual grace and athleticism, which, along with her speed and pedigree, makes her an above-average inclusion in this exercise. Side note: Thumbs down on the super-aggressive handling by the jockey between the eighth pole and the sixteenth pole.

All In Sync

Nov. 25, 9th race Churchill, MdSpWt120k

Beyer: 80

6f (sloppy) 1:11.56 – 1st by 1 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Maclean’s Music – System Time, by Girolamo

Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2019 – $43,000; OBS spring 2-year-old 2021 – $310,000

Owner: Ed and Susie Orr

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Breeder: Philip Steinberg

Dueled for the lead and finished a solid second making his career debut at Keeneland, but this colt was much the best making his second career start over a sloppy Churchill surface. Broke in front but was supplanted on the lead and settled into a pressing trip behind the two pacesetters, diving niftily to the rail when a hole opened before the homestretch. All in Sync quickly powered clear and might have won by more had he been put to pressure, but appeared to slightly lose focus while racing alone in front, and when the jockey looked back and saw no one coming, he only mildly threw the reins at his mount to finish up. Second foal to race from an unraced dam whose first, Beat the System, is, to date, an allowance-class sprinter.

Newgrange

Nov. 28, 4th race Del Mar, MdSpWt71k

Beyer: 80

6f 1:10.25 – 1st by 1 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Violence – Bella Chianti, by Empire Maker

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $125,000

Owner: Golconda Stable, Madaket Stable, SF Racing, Siena Farm, Starlight Racing

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Breeders: Jack Mandato and Black Rock Thoro.

First-time starter was second choice for Baffert and one of the new large partnerships on the rise in the sport but clearly was best with a comfortable trip in a very straightforward race. Broke alertly and pressed three deep all the way to the quarter pole before forging to the front and getting over to the two path. Continued on determinedly for a decisive enough win, and while geared down past the wire, he still managed to win the gallop-out. Fifth foal to race from an unraced dam, and one has to go three generations back to find a stakes winner in the female family. We find a mix of sprint and middle-distance performers among the closer relatives; this colt has some scope to him but doesn’t extend himself (the conformation appears to present at least some minor challenges) like a horse who you’d automatically think goes farther than one mile. By Baffert’s standards, a mid-level prospect.

Underhill’s Tab

Nov. 26, 7th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt45k

Beyer: 77

6f 1:10.57 – 1st by 3/4 length

b. c. 2, Unified – Mykindasaint, by Saint Ballado

Noteworthy siblings: Malibu Saint (Malibu Moon) – stakes winner

Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2019 – $10,000; Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling 2020 – $19,000; OBS March 2-year-old 2021 – $400,000

Owner: Spendthrift Farm

Trainer: Al Stall

Breeder: Jay Goodwin and Brian Foret

There were only five others in this race, but the gap between second and third was wide, and the winner’s debut performance seemed legitimate. He pulled a sweet trip just behind two leaders and had to work to run down one of them and win, but racing greenly through the stretch didn’t help. His dam sires, tracing back, are Saint Ballado, Deputy Minister, and Secretariat; it’s strange he sold for such low prices as a weanling and yearling. The pinhookers hit a home run with this colt, and his racing career is off to a nice start, too.