Breakout Beyers: Despite glamour connections, Impel gets away at a price

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

IMPEL
Jan. 1, 6th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt52k
Beyer: 84
6 furlongs 1:10.15 – 1st by 3 1/4 lengths
b.f.3, Quality Road – Your Love, by Flatter
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms

Hard to believe a Juddmonte first-time starter trained by Brad Cox, a horse who obviously can run, paid at almost 4-1 as the distant second choice behind distant runner-up Tipsy Tammy. That filly, trained by Phil Bauer for Rigney Racing, was odds-on in this, her career debut. To be fair, Tipsy Tammy ran well enough to win most Fair Grounds maiden special-weight sprints, finishing nearly 11 lengths ahead of the third horse in an eight-filly field, but she was no match whatsoever for Impel. Debuting in blinkers, Impel rated kindly from third as Tipsy Tammy dueled on the lead, and even by the three-furlong marker, Impel looked like a sure winner. She cruised up to the top pair at the quarter pole and took the lead without being asked, as Tipsy Tammy came under heavy pressure – to no avail. Florent Geroux did ask Impel at the eighth pole, not that he needed to, and I would rate her performance higher than the speed figure. Impel is the first foal to race out of a stakes-winning dirt sprinter, but she has stamina in her family, too, and appears to be quite a large young horse, dwarfing Tipsy Tammy during the brief time they raced near one another.

EPIC RIDE
Jan. 5, 5th race Turfway, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 86
6 furlongs Tapeta 1:10.19 – 1st by 5 lengths
b.c.3, Blame – Pick a Time, by Gio Ponti
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2022 – $160,000
Owner: Welch Racing
Trainer: John Ennis
Breeder: Fred Hertrich III

This colt holds quite a bit of promise. In his debut, he broke from the rail, showed early speed, was displaced on the lead and rated lightly from a stalking position along the rail, coming up the inside to just miss in a good effort. In this, his second start, he made the lead comfortably as the second choice and went along under a solid hold while chased by the favorite. That horse, Bow Street, was being niggled on around the turn while Adam Beschizza on Epic Ride hadn’t asked for anything, and, unsurprisingly, it was Epic Ride who pulled well clear in the homestretch. Bow Street was second by four lengths over the show horse in a 12-runner field. Epic Ride won off despite failing to change leads the entire homestretch; he did change in his first start, and one might guess this was a one-off. He’s the second foal to race (first did little) from a once-started dam with three stakes-winning siblings: Miss Dracarys, a Grade 2 winner over 1 1/16 miles on turf; Up the Ante, a listed winner over one mile on turf; and Aristocratic, a dirt sprinter. This colt has some scope to him, carried himself professionally, and could be heard from in Turfway 3-year-old stakes this winter.