Breakout Beyers: Damon’s Mound maiden win more eye-popping than stats

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

Damon’s Mound

July 2, 3rd race Churchill, MdSpWt120k

Beyer: 84

6 furlongs, 1:09.84 – 1st by 12 3/4 lengths

b. c. 2, Girvin – San Antonio Stroll, by Stroll

Owner: Michele and Cliff Love

Trainer: Michelle Lovell

Breeder: Michelle and Cliff Love

Damon’s Mound, a first-time starter, won by a huge margin at a major venue and earned a very high Beyer for a 2-year-old this time of year, yet you can’t truly appreciate this performance from only those data points. The trainer, while highly competent, doesn’t win with a lot of first-time starters, and the colt didn’t have an especially active workout pattern. The gate opened and he was one of three horses who failed to break with the rest of a full field, spotting the leaders several lengths. Damon’s Mound jumped right into the race and got into a stalking position without being asked but wound up four wide around the entire turn. Despite losing all that ground and not being asked for any run, he’d made the lead by the end of the bend and by the time he straightened for home, changing leads just a beat later than ideal, he had a couple lengths on his nearest pursuer. The rider barely moved as Damon’s Mound continued widening his advantage, which grew even greater during the gallop-out – a “wow” performance. The colt has a sweet stride and did this all effortlessly while looking like he’d handle 2-year-old route racing. He’s the first foal to race out of stakes-placed mare who wanted to run long. And how about first-crop sire Girvin? He already has five winners from eight starters, including stakes-winner Devious Dame, and those runners have gone 6-11 in the win column. The big question: Does this homebred stay with these connections, or do they sell?

Capensis

July 2, 5th race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 93

1 1/16 miles turf, 1:39.94 – 1st by 5 lengths

gr. c. 3, Tapit – Tara’s Tango, by Unbridled’s Song

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 -

$2 million

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert LaPenta, Gainesway Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: Stonestreet Stables

When connections plunked down $2 million to buy this colt as a yearling, they probably imagined winning important dirt-route races in spring of his 3-year-old season rather than a turf maiden race in July. C’est la vie. Capensis did work in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and even October of his 2-year-old season, but then posted no timed drills over the winter before resuming in March. His last three breezes had come on turf, yet this colt was 5-1 in his debut, which he won more like a 1-5 shot. Rating along at the back of the field, Capensis still had only one beat at the three-eighths pole, but jockey Jose Ortiz pulled out and asked for run at the five-sixteenths marker and got an immediate response. Capensis pounced on the leaders, changed leads professionally, and dashed clear with a robust 27.85-second final 2 1/2 furlongs. His dam, a Grade 1 winner in a dirt route, is one of four graded stakes winners produced by the second dam. Plenty of dirt in the pedigree but looks like grass is his thing.

Lost Ark

July 3, 1st race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 79

5 1/2 furlongs, 1:04.38 – 1st by 5 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Violence – Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy

Noteworthy siblings: Nest (Curlin, foaled 2019) G1 stakes winner, 2nd Belmont S., 2nd Kentucky Oaks, $1.13 million earnings; Idol (Curlin, foaled 2017) – G1 stakes winner; Dr. Jack (Pioneerof the Nile, foaled 2018) – stakes placed, $156k earnings

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 - $275,000

Owner: Harrell Ventures

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stable

Sire Violence can get precocious runners and his influence must have come out in this colt since he was able to win his career debut in a short sprint despite the fact his two most successful siblings are true staying horses in dirt routes. Lost Ark was bet to odds-on favoritism, had plenty of speed, and was game to draw away despite a “between trip” – meaning he was sandwiched between two pace rivals during the early and middle stages. For all the good things here, it’s impossible to overlook this colt’s stride and conformation. He paddles radically, has very high knee action, and his hind legs also splay all over the place. He’s already overcome the way he’s made to turn in a fast debut performance, and maybe none of that will matter in the end – but it might.

Accretive

June 26, 6th race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 91

6 1/2 furlongs, 1:17.35 – 1st by 5 3/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Practical Joke – Mallory Street, by Street Sense

Noteworthy siblings: Saratoga Affair (Paynter, foaled 2018) – 3 for 6, 85 Beyer

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 - $180,000

Owner: Klaravich Stables

Trainer: Chad Brown

Breeder: Falcon Wood Partners

He got in plenty of timed workouts as a 2-year-old but this, his career debut, came in July of his 3-year-old season, so the usual caveats apply. Still, the colt was impressive. He didn’t have a lot of early speed and got parked four wide around the turn but still made up considerable ground on the bend and had hit the front at the quarter pole. And while he won sprinting, Accretive very much has the look of a route horse with long, rhythmic strides. I actually thought the best part of his race was the final half-furlong and the gallop-out, and look forward to seeing him over a longer trip.

Saint Tapit

June 26, 4th race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 93

6 1/2 furlongs, 1:17.20 – 1st by four lengths

ch. c. 3, Tapit – Havre de Grace, by Saint Liam

Noteworthy siblings: Princess Grace (Tapit, foaled 2016) – G3 winner, $265k earnings

Owner: Whisper Hill Farm

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: Whisper Hill Farm

This was the first division of a split maiden race on the card, the second division won by Breakout Beyer horse Accretive. Saint Tapit ran a little faster than Accretive, but I thought slightly more of Accretive, though it was Saint Tapit getting more publicity as a son of the great racemare Havre de Grace. This colt broke a touch flat-footed from the rail but soon found enough stride to be maneuvered into a favorable outside pressing trip. He came under fairly heavy pressure to pull clear in the homestretch and was somewhat slow to change leads, though one couldn’t find too much fault with an open-lengths winner clearly bred for more distance.

Velocitor

June 30, 2nd race Woodbine, MdSpWt127

Beyer: 82

5 furlongs Tapeta, 58.55 – 1st by 7 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Mor Spirit – Polar Plunge, by Successful Appeal

Owner: Al Ulwelling and Bill Ulwelling

Trainer: Tino Attard

Breeder: Al Ulwelling and Bill Ulwelling

This Ontario homebred had been a distant second in a very eventful career debut and left no doubt of his superiority in this short all-weather sprint. He had good gate speed, pressed up while racing outside one pace rival, took command before the quarter pole and was comfortably the best despite some lead-switching. The gallop-out was very strong, too, and this colt should get farther. The dam herself was precocious as were a couple of her stakes-winning siblings. This was the first winner for first-crop sire Mor Spirit.