Breakout Beyers: Ethan Energy defies bias in impressive maiden score

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

ETHAN ENERGY
Dec. 23, 2nd race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt54k
Beyer: 83
1 1/16 miles 1:44.98 – 1st by 5 1/4 lengths
b.c.2, Uncle Mo – Sass and Class, by Harlan’s Holiday
Noteworthy siblings: Royal Charlotte (Cairo Prince, foaled 2016) – multiple graded stakes winner, $408K earnings
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2022 – withdrawn
Owner: Stonestreet Stables
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings

Among eight dirt races on this eight-stakes card, only two produced winners who came from more than a length or so off the pace. Both were Brad Cox-trained maiden winners, though Ethan Energy ran nearly a second faster than Mosaico Man and at this stage clearly seems the better colt. Ethan Energy debuted in a 6 1/2-furlong Keeneland maiden race while wearing blinkers and lacked the speed to keep up, making mild progress and finishing a distant sixth. Don’t think connections had any intention of making the Churchill meet in November even though Ethan Energy worked back off his debut in a timely fashion, breezing on Nov. 5 at Ellis Park. He was sent shortly thereafter to New Orleans and here appeared blinker-less in a route. Away decently, he again lacked early speed and raced from mid-pack around the turn and onto the backstretch, going with his ears pinned and climbing a touch, perhaps resenting kickback, as he turned onto the backstretch. Jockey Florent Geroux kept Ethan Energy in an outside stalking spot before asking his mount to go after the leaders at the three-furlong marker and getting a quick affirmative response. Cornering for home, Ethan Energy briefly drifted in as he swept to the lead, pulling steadily clear to win impressively enough over a couple colts, El Magnifico and Phantom Speed, who look talented. His dam made only two starts and produced pure sprinter Royal Charlotte as her first foal before missing the mark with her next three foals. This one is pretty good and likely to get better.

SCATIFY
Dec. 16, 7th race Los Alamitos Racecourse, MdSpWt45k
Beyer: 84
6 furlongs 1:09.81 – 1st by a half-length
ch.c.2, Justify – Broadway Run, by Prospective
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2022 – withdrawn; F-T spring 2yo 2023 – $120,000
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds
Trainer: John Sadler
Breeder: Doug Branham and Felicia Branham

March of Time, a first-time starter by Justify trained by Bob Baffert, was the odds-on favorite here, but it was a different Justify firster, Scatify, who proved superior. The margin of victory here was a half-length but the top two ran away from the other four horses, the third-place finisher more than six lengths out of second. Scatify brushed the side of starting gate stall while breaking, then had the horse directly to his inside swerve into his path, and all that led to a wide, stalking trip, albeit while racing in the clear. Scatify’s first impressive moment was a sharp move before the turn to draw closer to contention, after which he maintained a steady run while losing ground on the bend and coming into the homestretch nearly in front. Late to change leads, he surged after doing so before the eighth pole, and while March of Time made a run at Scatify through the final furlong, the winner held him clear and galloped out encouragingly. Scatify is the first foal to race out of a turf-sprint stakes-winning mare whose peak 90 Beyer is the fifth best from a son or daughter of the Malibu Moon sire Prospective.

COLORADO CRUISER
Dec. 26, 2nd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt64k
Beyer: 86
6 furlongs 1:09.91 – 1st by a nose
b.c.2, Catalina Cruiser – Baby Nina, by Flatter
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2021 – $55,000 RNA; Keeneland September yearling 2022 – $90,000
Owner: C T R Stables
Trainer: Luis Mendez
Breeder: SF Bloodstock

This was Colorado Cruiser’s fourth start and easily his best as he cut back to a classic sprint trip from a route. The margin of victory was the narrowest of noses as Colorado Cruiser just caught a tiring Urban Legend after the pair had volleyed for the lead down the backstretch and around the turn. Urban Legend opened several lengths at the eighth pole, but a fast pace emptied his tank in the late stages. The 86 Beyer is the highest from a horse by Catalina Cruiser. Colorado Cruiser’s solid gallop-out made him look like at least a mild route prospect, though his fading fourth going a two-turn Del Mar mile did not.

SUNCROFT
Dec. 23, 8th race Turfway, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 91
6 1/2 furlongs 1:16.35 – 1st by 8 1/2 lengths
b.c.3, Arrogate – Princess Karen, by Stay Thirsty
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – withdrawn
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Juddmonte Farms

Barely makes this list as a late-season 3-year-old first-time starter, but Suncroft looked impressive enough that he can become a stakes horse – if he can stay in training. That has been an isssue, clearly, for a horse getting such a late start. One thinks of Juddmonte as buyers much more than sellers at auction, yet this homebred was entered in a yearling sale before being withdrawn. He breezed a few times in June of his 2-year-old year, needed a break, and appears to have been on the verge of starting last fall in Kentucky before once again being sidelined. Suncroft had a series of spring workouts this year, then another break, and finally made the races after working steadily at Turfway. He had good speed from an inside post, cruised confidently around the turn, and was asked no more than a whisker while smoothly drawing away to a sharp score.