Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive. Gulfport June 10, 6th race Churchill Downs, MdSpWt119k Beyer: 83 5 furlongs 56.85 – 1st by 7 lengths b. c. 2, Uncle Mo – Fame and Fortune, by Unbridled’s Song Noteworthy siblings: Favor (Pioneerof the Nile – 2019 foal) – graded stakes-placed, $116K earnings Auctions: Fasig-Tipton summer yearling 2021 – $275,000 Owner: William and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Trainer: Steve Asmussen Breeder: Diamond Creek Farm Apparently, this colt turned some heads in the morning since he paid $3 to win his career debut. Was entered in and withdrawn from a 2-year-old auction and off this performance likely could be sold for considerably more than he’d have brought there. Started alertly but wasn’t speed-crazy nor was he rushed to the lead, getting over from post 7 to the No. 2 path around the turn. He caught the pacesetter at the quarter pole, changed leads right on cue, and proceeded to draw steadily away in a Grade A performance from a first-time starting juvenile this early in the year. He’s obviously very fast but has the pedigree to stretch out – and the stride to go with it. He’s surely a Saratoga stakes candidate as the summer unspools.  Artorius June 10, 1st race Belmont, MdSpWt90k Beyer: 91 1 mile 1:35.07 – 1st by 3/4 b. c. 3, Arrogate – Paulassilverlining, by Ghostzapper Owner: Juddmonte Trainer: Chad Brown Breeder: Juddmonte Farms First foal to race out of Paulassilverlining, a winner of seven graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Madison and the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, both over seven furlongs on dirt. Her brother, Dad’s Caps, twice won the Grade 1 Carter over seven furlongs. Going into the female family we find not only speed influence Pancho Villa as a broodmare sire but also Alydar – in other words, a good mix of speed and stay here. Artorius’s debut over six furlongs at Keeneland just was too short – he ran well but just couldn’t get up. The trip here in this one-turn mile was mixed: He was stuck inside behind a somewhat muddling pace all the way around the turn but did find room between horses after coming for home, the gap opening wide enough and long enough he could easily get through. The Pletcher-trained runner-up came back at Artorius as both horses pulled away from the rest of the field (winner got his last quarter-mile in 23.95), and while this colt’s action is far from beautiful, he’s obviously talented and ought to stretch out to two turns. Andiamo a Firenze June 3, 1st race Belmont, New York-bred MdSpWt75k Beyer: 80 5 1/2 furlongs 1:04.27 – 1st by 4 lengths b. c. 2, Speightstown – My Every Wish, by Langfuhr Noteworthy siblings: Firenze Fire (Poseidon’s Warrior, foaled 2015) – eight-time graded stakes winner, $2.7 million earnings; Firenze Freedom (Istan, foaled 2017) – stakes-placed, $137K earnings Owner: Mr Amore Stable Trainer: Kelly Breen Breeder: Mr Amore Stable  Bet to odds-on favoritism for his career debut and ran to the price, breaking on top from his inside draw and leading from start to finish over New York-bred rivals, albeit in what seemed like a solid group. Casting a cold eye on front-running wet-track 2-year-old winners rarely is a bad idea, but on the colt’s side is how easily he won this. The rider merely threw the reins at him a few times and he was gone, eased across the wire. The colt does have a decidedly sprint-leaning action and physical presence to him, but then his brother was a sprinter and managed to rack up the better part of $3 million in purse money.   King Ottoman May 30, 11th race Lone Star, Texas Derby300k Beyer: 88 1 1/16 miles 1:45.28 – 1st by a head b. c. 3, Curlin – Shook Up, by Tapit Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 $335,000 (RNA) Owner: Three Chimneys Farm Trainer: Steve Asmussen Breeder: Three Chimneys Farm I really liked this colt to clear the maiden ranks in the first race on Derby Day, a one-turn maiden mile; he finished third and it only added insult to injury that he came right back with a first career victory in a $300,000 stakes race. Trainer Steve Asmussen ran one-two as King Ottoman edged Presidential, who came out at the furlong grounds and bumped the winner, who pinned his ears, appeared to lose focus, and still narrowly got the job done. Yes, he won a stakes race, but there are other 3-year-olds on this week’s list with higher numbers from maiden wins. There’s ability here, no doubt, and he still looks like a colt with room to grow. Elite Power June 5, 10th race Churchill Downs, MdSpWt121k Beyer: 97 7 furlongs 1:21.06 – 1st by 9 lengths ch. c. 4, Curlin – Broadway’s Alibi, by Vindication Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $900,000 Owner: Juddmonte Trainer: Bill Mott Breeder: Alpha Delta Stables  It’s getting a little late even for 3-year-old maiden winners, and this colt is a 4-year-old, but we hardly can ignore him and his 97 Beyer, can we? He flattered Breakout Beyer colt Strobe, who beat him 4 1/2 lengths on May 7, though Elite Power took a major forward move in his second race back from a winter break. Didn’t debut until fall of his 3-year-old season, but offspring of Curlin often come around strongly if people are willing to give them time, as Juddmonte most certainly is. He raced midpack, rallied wide, changed leads smartly, and just ran away from his rivals, geared down the final 50 yards, which led to a tepid gallop-out. His dame won the Comely and the Forward Gal and her brother, Golden Lad, captured the Razorback and the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker. Actuator June 8, 7th race Churchill Downs, MdSpWt120k Beyer: 92 7 furlong 1:21.63 – 1st by 7 1/4 lengths b. c. 3, Bodemeister – Indian Rocket, by Indian Charlie Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed 2020 – $2,200 Owner: Rags Racing Stable, Rick Howard, Gavin O’Connor Trainer: Michael McCarthy Breeder: WinStar Farms Check out the purchase price – what a bargain. Made two Indiana Grand turf starts for a different trainer as a 2-year-old and really turned in a corker coming back from a long layoff. Had excellent gate speed, contested the pace and put away the other front-runners, drifted down toward the rail when clear at the three-sixteenths, and drew clear to a powerhouse score. One can understand, given the pedigree, why turf was considered the first option, but dirt clearly is his game, or so it appears after this romp. Opening Buzz June 11, 3rd race Golden Gate, MdSpWt38k Beyer: 92 5 1.2 furlongs (Tapeta) 1:03.10 – 1st by 7 lengths ch. f. 3, Stanford – Open Mic, by Unbridled’s Song Auctions: Northern California August yearling 2020 – $34,000 (RNA) Owner: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds Trainer: Jonathan Wong Breeder: Tommy Town Thoroughbreds  Won’t make too much of a late-debuting 3-year-old filly winning a short Golden Gate synthetic-surface sprint . . . but, she was visually impressive as well as fast on the Beyer scale. The homebred filly posted her first timed workout more than a year before her debut, stopped working last June, returned to the tab in September and October, required another break, and then got on a steady pattern starting March 19 all the way into this debut start. Wore blinkers and a shadow roll, broke sharply, and dominated while keeping her ears pricked all the way to the wire and past it during a sharp gallop-out. Her first start produced the highest Beyer (topping 83) earned by a son or daughter of second-crop California sire Stanford.