Breakout Beyers: Corniche sets the standard

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

Corniche

Sept. 4, 10th race Del Mar, MdSpWt72k

Beyer: 98

5 1/2f 1:03.01 – 1st by 4 1/4 lengths

b. c. 2, Quality Road – Wasted Tears, by Najran

Noteworthy siblings: Coffee Crush (Medaglia d’Oro) – stakes-placed, $123K earnings, 97 Beyer

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $385,000 (RNA); OBS spring 2-year-old 2021 – $1.5 million

Owner: Speedway Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Breeder: Bart Evans and Stonehaven Steadings

When you cost $1.5 million at a 2-year-old breeze-up auction, you’re supposed to look good when you make the races, and Corniche did not disappoint. The sale-topper at this past March’s OBS Spring sale, the colt debuted in a maiden race placed between two graded stakes, which felt like race planning meant to show off a future star – which this fellow could be. That was the highest Beyer Speed Figure so far this year from a 2-year-old, and the visual impression matched the figure. Breaking from the far outside post, Corniche got away on top and dominated thereafter, clocking the fastest first quarter-mile and posting the field’s fastest come-home time. Corniche, under Mike Smith, set a strong pace but appeared to be going easy, and when a rival crept slightly closer approaching the eighth pole, Smith offered minor hand urging and Corniche just took off. He debuted in a short sprint, but this colt has the stride rhythm, stride length, and power of a route horse, and is bred to run long, his dam a multiple graded stakes winner in turf routes. Possibly the second most exciting horse to race at Del Mar over the weekend, surpassed only by Flightline.

Classic Causeway

Sept. 4, 7th race Saratoga, MdSpWt100k

Beyer: 90

7f 1:22.67 – 1st by 6 1/2 lengths

ch. c. 2, Giant’s Causeway – Private World, by Thunder Gulch

Owner: Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper

Trainer: Brian Lynch

Breeder: Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust

Was 13-1 for his career debut but won like a 13-10 shot. Good gate speed, comfortably made the front and settled into an efficient rhythm, asked for a bit in upper stretch and was cropped a couple times past the eighth pole, and no one ever got close to him. Homebred from a stakes-winning dam who won her first three starts as a 2-year-old of 2005 before flopping in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet and racing only twice more in her career. She’s had seven other foals to race without even getting a stakes-placed runner. This colt’s visual impression wasn’t anything like eye-popping but he appeared to move very efficiently and obviously has plenty of speed, and only the runner-up, Trafalgar, finished faster in this field. As a prospect for races one mile and longer this year I liked him as well as any of the Saratoga maiden winners.

Annapolis

Sept. 4, 6th race Saratoga, MdSpWt100k

Beyer: 76

1 1/16M turf 1:43.47 – 1st by 4 1/2

b. c. 2, War Front – My Miss Sophia, by Unbridled’s Song

Noteworthy siblings: Nevisian Sunrise (War Front) – stakes-placed

Owner: Bass Racing

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: Bass Stables

Just a 76 Beyer, which barely makes the cutoff for consideration on this list right now, but it’s hard to get much of a final-time figure in a route race when the pace is so slow, and this was a very encouraging performance, indeed. Bet to favoritism in his debut but had only two of nine rivals behind him as the field swung onto the backstretch. To win, he really had to make three moves, the first to get out of the tail of the field and into midpack coming to the turn, the second to reach contention around the turn and to the quarter pole, and the third to finish things off after coming to the leader at the furlong grounds. Mission accomplished – with aplomb. Went 52.54 for his final 4 1/2 furlongs and got his last 1 1/2 furlongs in 28.71, opening up late with a flashy gallop-out. Moves very nicely over the lawn. Looks like a colt for the Pilgrim at Belmont or the Bourbon at Keeneland and possible the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Juju’s Map

Sept. 4, 6th race Ellis Park, MdSpWt51k

Beyer: 80

1M 1:35.41 – 1st by 5 3/4 lengths

b. f. 2, Liam’s Map – Nagambie, by Flatter

Auctions: Keeneland January all ages 2020 – $190,000; Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $300,000

Owner: Allbaugh Family Stables

Trainer: Brad Cox

Breeder: Fred Hertrich III

Ran well for second behind sharp winner Control (no works since Aug. 5) in her sprint debut and was much, much the best stretching out to a 1 3/4-turn mile. Filly went straight to the front under Florent Geroux and turned in the fastest first, third, and fourth quarter-miles while thumping 10 rivals. It’s not a perfect stride, but she travels solidly enough, and always good to see two pieces of quality evidence, the debut run having yielded a 77 Beyer. The dam’s racing career didn’t amount to much, but there’s plenty of black type in the family, and even though Cox didn’t take this filly to Saratoga, she seems pretty legitimate.

Pipeline

Sept. 4, 3rd race Saratoga, MdSpWt100k

Beyer: 97

7f 1:22.08, 1st by 3 1/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Speightstown – Vivo Per Lei, by Empire Maker

Owner: J. Gunther/Eurowest Bloodstock Services

Trainer: Chad Brown

Breeder: Eurowest Bloodstock Services

Getting late in the year for a 3-year-old maiden winner to make this list, but he got a 97 Beyer and has form to validate that performance. Shows four published works from April of his 2-year-old season but didn’t breeze again (publicly) until last November. Was green in his seven-furlong dirt debut, didn’t do much on turf second time out, but with blinkers added just missed in a nine-furlong Saratoga dirt maiden race in July and was much the best here cutting back to a long sprint. Looked like a winner as far as five furlongs out as he traveled strongly in the bridle perched outside the other speed. Put those pace rivals away at the quarter pole, responded to upper-stretch encouragement, and ran straight to the wire in a decisive score. Looks like he could be emerging as a nice dirt miler for the fall and winter.

Dakota Gold

Sept. 2, 2nd race Saratoga, MdSpWt97k

Beyer: 83

5 1/2f 1:03.89 – 1st by 4 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Freud – Dakota Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid

Auctions: Fasig-Tipton fall mixed 2019 – $83,000

Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing

Trainer: Danny Gargan

Breeder: Sequel Thoroughbreds and Ron Bowden

New York-bred was entered for debut in an open maiden-special, a positive sign, and prospered when the race was rained off turf and onto a fast track. There were only four others racing, and the heavy favorite couldn’t transfer his turf form to dirt; it seems fair to question the strength of the heat. Dakota Gold, not a massive specimen nor especially flashy, won comfortably enough but not in a manner suggestive of future stardom. The dam is a sister to BC Dirt Mile winner Dakota Phone.

Jester Calls Nojoy

Sept. 5, 8th race Saratoga, MdSpWt100k

Beyer: 78

7f 1:23.53 – 1st by 10 lengths

b. f. 2, Maclean’s Music – Morning Star, by Sky Mesa

Owner: The Elkstone Group

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: The Elkstone Group

For a 10-length Saratoga maiden winner, she didn’t truly light things up. The speed figure came back on the light side, and the filly who’d run past her to win on Aug. 15, Gimmick, didn’t do much to flatter Jester when Gimmick performed modestly Monday in the Sorority at Monmouth Park. Merits mention because of the wide win margin, but other recent Spa maiden winners have seemed more promising.