Breakout Beyers: Golden Pal breaks through, in a big way

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

Golden Pal

Aug. 21, 3rd race, Saratoga, $85K Skidmore S.
Beyer: 92
5 1/2f, 1:00.88, 1st by 3 1/2 lengths
b. c. 2, Uncle Mo–Lady Shipman, by Midshipman
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Sept. yearling 2019 - $325,000 RNA
Owner: Ranlo Investments
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Breeder: Randall Lowe

Well, this was one of the better maiden winners of 2020, 2-year-old or otherwise, and of course the race was a stakes, not a maiden. Hard, in fact, to believe Golden Pal still was a maiden after two starts, but he clearly can’t show his best on dirt, as evidenced by his career debut at Gulfstream, and he just was nipped at Royal Ascot over ground with give that surely blunted his brilliance. And yes, there is plenty of brilliance. His break here was electric and Golden Pal had two lengths on the field a half-furlong into the race. He went a half-mile in 44.37 seconds and didn’t appear to be working to do so, nor did the pace diminish his finish, as he won in hand with speed to spare. He’s the first foal to race from a dam who was an excellent turf sprinter herself, and the goal this season surely is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, in which he will be very, very difficult to defeat. The breeder sent him to auction, didn’t get his price, and instead has a real runner on his hands.

Ashiham

Aug. 21, 2nd race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 84
1 1/8m, 1:49.90, 1st by 1 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Tapit–Wine Princess, by Ghostzapper
Noteworthy siblings: Felix the Fox (Tapit) - $138k earnings; War Chest (War Front) - $102k earnings
Auctions: Keeneland Sept. yearling 2018 - $800,000
Owner: Shadwell Stable
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Dattt Farm

This was more about the right setup and the right group of horses than a true breakout performance, though, to be fair, the 84 Beyer was a career best by six points. He’d been 9 ½ and nine furlongs in his last two starts but lacks pace and got little help up front in either of those races, but here, the front-runners broke 48 seconds for the half and 1:12 for three-quarters, melted down at the furlong grounds, and Ashiham, wearing front bandages for the first time, came rolling down the center of the track for a going-away victory. Goes with his head held low and is the prototypical long-winded grinder who requires plenty of distance to sort himself out. There’s ample staying power and plenty of stakes winners in this female family, which helps account for the rich auction price, but six starts into the career and more than halfway through his 3-year-old season, probably not all that much upside.

Jessup

Aug. 19, 5th race, Indiana Grand, MdSpWt31k
Beyer: 84
6f, 1:09.96, 1st by 5 lengths
b. g. 3, Conveyance–Grimace, by Vindication
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Sept. yearling 2018 - $40,000; Fasig-Tipton March select 2yo in training 2019 - $275,000 RNA
Owner: William and Corinne Heiligbrodt
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: John Penn

This apparently was an intended pinhook, as he was entered in a 2-year-old sale last year and failed to meet a reserve that was 4. 1/2 times as high as the yearling purchase price. One can see why there were hopes – he’s a pretty good-looking gelding with an appealing stride, who showed plenty of speed in this, his career debut, and seemed to do things easily. He worked four times as a 2-year-old, starting and stopping, and wound up at one of Team Asmussen’s more obscure summer outposts. One should take into account that running positions in this race never changed. Still, the figure was quite solid and the field really spread out at the finish, indicative of an actually fast race. The unraced dam is a sister to graded stakes winners Bwana Charlie, Bwana Bull, and My Pal Charlie; the latter two could route, and this horse galloped out like he can handle a middle distance, as well.

American Quality

Aug. 22, 2nd race, Monmouth Park, MdSpWt44k
Beyer: 82
Abt 5 1/2f, turf, 1:03.98; 1st by 4 1/4 lengths
b. g. 3, Exclusive Quality–American Swagger, by Mr. Sekiguchi
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None found
Owner: Four Horsemen’s Ranch and Jose Guadalupe Guerrero
Trainer: Jose Guadalupe Guerrero
Breeder: Horse Research Center

How about this for a Beyer pattern: 11-18-43-82! Those races were dirt sprint, sloppy dirt route, short turf route, and finally this, a turf sprint. He was 50-1 for good reason and just crushed eight rivals. Pretty obscure pedigree, low-percentage trainer. This race came from out of the blue and might be difficult to duplicate.

Beaver Hat

Aug. 23, 3rd race, Ellis Park, MdSpWt45k
Beyer: 81
1 mile, 1:36.39, 1st by 1 3/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Istan–Beret, by Royal Academy
Noteworthy siblings: Kepi (Strategic Mission) – Multiple SW, $384K earnings; Brim (Straight Line) - $128K earnings; My Borsalino (Pleasantly Perfect) - $133K earnings
Auctions: None
Owner: Nancy Vanier and Lyda Williamson
Trainer: Brian Williamson
Breeder: Nancy Vanier and Lyda Williamson

The dam, Beret, was a nice turf horse for the Vanier/Williamson clan, one of the leading families in Illinois racing for years and years. This colt, late-maturing, it would appear, tried grass four back to no great effect and after a pair of near misses, finally graduated in his 10th start, doing so as an odds-on favorite, which speaks to the quality of the opposition. Easy to root for the connections, and the owners/breeders are committed horsepeople. Suspect limited upside here, but an N1X allowance win could be in range this year.