Breakout Beyers: Edgeway lights it up at Oaklawn
Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.
EDGEWAY
Feb. 29 1st race, Oaklawn Park, MdSpWt87k
Beyer: 94
6f, dirt fast, 1:09.05
b. f. 3, Competitive Edge-Magical Solution, by Stormin Fever
Owner: Hronis Racing
Trainer: John Sadler
Breeder: Pope McLean, Valerie Blethen and David Blethen
Fourth foal to race out of a dam who is a half-sister to The Lumber Guy, talented sprinter-miler type. Pedigree all hints at middle-distance being best-case stamina scenario, but there’s no doubt she’s fast and talented. Broke from rail in debut, made lead over one early pace rival, raced in hand showing good speed while relatively relaxed, and turned back a challenge at the five-sixteenths pole from a rival who was being asked hard to keep up while she still went along easily. She was totally professional except for one thing – she didn’t like being smacked with the crop at all. Shied from both whacks she got (rider evidently didn’t get the message after the first one!) but still galloped out with good energy. Could be “for real” but always hard to tell too much when they win on the lead like this.
FOUR GRACES
March 1, 6th race, Gulfstream Park, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 83
b. f. 3, Majesticperfection-Ivory Empress, by Seeking the Gold
Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Breeder: Whitham Thoroughbreds
Funny, trainer Ian Wilkes has a deep reputation for not winning with first-time starters, yet this is the second debuting 3-year-old this winter at Gulfstream from his barn to make this list. Doubt she was pushed into debut and that’s another reason for being bullish on this filly – which I am. Didn’t break all that sharp and was hustled from rail draw to get close to the front, forced to press inside the early leader down the backstretch and around turn. Disposed of pace rival, was slow to change leads, and when finally doing so at the furlong pole, she rebroke and comfortably held off the place horse, who had nearly eight lengths on show finishers. She won the gallop-out and looked like a horse who can get two turns. Excellent broodmare’s first four foals to race all were six-figure earners headed by multiple graded-stakes winner McCraken.
I’LL FIGHT DEMPSEY
Feb. 29, 2nd race, Gulfstream Park, MdSpWt47k
Beyer: 82
6f, dirt fast, 1:10.64
b. c. 3, Into Mischief-Azara, by More Than Ready
Owner: St. Elias Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Bridlewood Farm
First-time starter was bet down to 2-1 favoritism despite rail draw and while breaking about fourth had the speed to make the front in the first 50 yards. Settled comfortably and responded to moderate urging from rider when things got serious past the quarter pole and comfortably best, though passed fairly quickly on gallop-out by runner-up. Stride length matches the general pedigree suggesting he won’t want to run more than a one-turn mile. Solid but not spectacular.
BEAU LUMINARIE
Feb. 26, 4th race, Gulfstream Park, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 91
b. g. 4, I Want Revenge-Belle Noelle, by Scrimshaw
Owner: Linda Pavey
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Breeder: Linda Pavey
Look at his stride suggests the reasons this, his third career start, came two months into his 4-year-old season. Big breakthrough here with 13-point Beyer improvement over December sprint, which was his first race since February and first in blinkers. Ears pricked and going along comfortably while setting a fairly strong pace, though he did come under a decent among of urging from the three-sixteenths pole home, with not much of a gallop-out. Off-brand pedigree a little hard to read. Despite the legitimately fast win here, fair to wonder if he’s a stakes horse in the end.