Breakout Beyers: Gunite fires stretching out

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

Gunite

June 22, 2nd race Churchill, MdSpWt102k

Beyer: 73

6f – 1:10.10; 1st by 1 1/2 lengths

b. c. 2, Gun Runner – Simple Curprise, by Cowboy Cal

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds

Trainer Steve Asmussen

Breeder: Winchell Thoroughbreds

Okay in the slop debuting at five furlongs, better going the same distance on a fast track second out, and took a big leap here going six furlongs. Had come from off the pace in his first two starts, but breaking from the rail he was asked for early speed and supplied plenty of it, setting out at a fast pace while hounded by a front-end rival lapped along his right flank. Gunite put that horse away past the quarter pole and continued on determinedly to fend off one moderate challenge while never truly threatened. Goes pretty low to the ground and doesn’t move strictly like a sprinter, though the dam and second dam were best around one turn.

Elm Drive

June 26, 6th race Los Alamitos, MdSpWt46k

Beyer: 68

5f – 57.56; 1st by 8 lengths

b. f. 2, Mohaymen – Lets Dance Charlie, by Indian Charlie

Noteworthy siblings: Mother of Dragons (First Dude) – multiple stakes winner, $154K earnings; Well Maybe (Yes Its True) – stakes winner, $129K earnings

Auctions: OBS 2-year-old & horses of racing age 2020 – $40,000; OBS March 2-year-old 2021 – $165,000

Owner: Little Red Feather Racing

Trainer: Phil D’Amato

Breeder: Kenneth D’Oyen

Nothing super-fast in the workout department, yet was bet to 4-5 for career debut and made that price hold up. Wore a shadow roll, no blinkers, had good speed, and brushed aside a pace rival to go clear in upper stretch and win as her rider pleased. From first crop of Mohaymen and has some deeper pedigree on the dam’s side. The two best siblings to race were strictly sprinters.

Robo Man

June 26, 1st race Churchill, MdSpWt97k

Beyer: 93

6.5f – 1:15.26; 1st by 8 1/4 lengths

b. g. 3, Vancouver – Crane Beach, by Anabaa

Auctions: KeeSept yearling 2019 – $9,500; OBS 2-year-olds & horses of racing age 2020 – $14,000

Owner: Dan Churilla

Trainer: Wayne Catalano

Breeder: John Gunther and Cudney Stables

Look at the auction prices – sold twice for a song. Guess that gave connections the latitude to debut him for a $30,000 tag, and he somehow lost that start before doing this. Broke a touch awkwardly from the far outside post and was taken inside to stalk two leaders, splitting that pair at the five-sixteenths pole with a slick move. Bounding strides and a solid-looking action, especially on the head-on, as his drifting out came strictly as a response to a left-handed crop. Pedigree a strong lean toward longer distances.

One Timer

June 26, 5th race Arlington, MdSpWt30k

Beyer: 80

5f Polytrack – 56.97; 1st by 12 1/2 lengths

b. g. 2, Trappe Shot – Spanish Star, by Blame

Auctions: Fasig-Tipton October yearling 2020 – $21,000

Owner: Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope

Trainer: Larry Rivelli

Breeder: St. Simon Place

First foal to start from an unraced dam who is a sister to Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston, yet this gelding (gelded early) had good speed and really rocketed home, getting his last furlong in about 11.40 seconds. This was one of those instances where you didn’t need a clock to see that the horse was flying through the homestretch, and he carried his momentum through wire and into the turn with a strong gallop-out. Short field and he got the lead over a surface that often has carried speed this season, but he ought to get a longer one-turn trip this year and was far above par for an Arlington 2-year-old maiden winner of recent vintage.

Amadevil

June 21, 1st race Thistledown, MdSpWt (Ohio-bred)

Beyer: 94

5f (muddy/sealed) – 57.40; 1st by 24 1/4 lengths

b. f. 3, Dominus – Preachette, by Pulpit

Owner: David Wolochuk

Trainer: David Wolochuck

Breeder: Imagine

Sure, Ohio-bred maiden race on a wet, sealed track is not exactly the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But winning a five-furlong race by more than 24 lengths – that’s not easy to do, and the Beyer Speed Figure, legitimately high, reflects that. The filly did this easily, too, never encouraged with the crop and going very smoothly while opening a huge margin off the turn and into the stretch after leading from basically the first jump. Also, there’s actual pedigree here. Granted, the sire has not thrown many high-level runners, though he does have a very nice pedigree, and here are the broodmare sires from this filly’s first five generations: Pulpit, Danzig, Foolish Pleasure, and Nijinsky II. Filly is named after the famed Nebraska sprinter of the 1970s, a 33-time winner during his career. I’d give her at least a 20 percent chance or so of being “the real thing.”

Stand Up Comic

June 23, 5th race Parx, MdSpWt45k

Beyer: 68

4.5f – 51.97; 1st by 2 lengths

ch. f. 2, Practical Joke – Boleyn, by Proud Citizen

Noteworthy siblings: Hi Holiday (Harlan’s Holiday) – stakes-winner, $112K earnings; Dr B (Liam’s Map) – 2 wins in 4 starts, 85 Beyer maiden win

Owner: LC Racing and Cash Is King

Trainer: Butch Reid

Breeder: Eico Ventures

Was 4-5 facing six in career debut and made the price look fair. Broke from post 1 and showed Quarter Horse kind of speed, doing it while balanced and on rhythm, to open several lengths in the first half-furlong. Pricked her ears, ran the turn well, responded quickly to encouragement when mild pressure came and was going away again at the finish as much the best. Doesn’t have the body type of a horse with this much speed as she’s a little bit on the lankier side and more finely made than one might expect. Given that shape and her pedigree (leans turf routes on bottom), you’d think she could get six or seven furlongs this summer.

Oxana

June 23, 7th race Parx, MdSpWt34k (Pa.-bred)

Beyer: 95

6.5f – 1:15.13; 1st by 18 lengths

b. f. 3, Uptowncharleybrown – Its My Town, by Cowtown Cat

Auctions: Fasig-Tipton spring 2-year-old 2020 – $65,000

Owner: Tee-N-Jay Farm

Trainer: Tim Hills

Breeder: Uptowncharleybrown Stud

So, two Breakout Beyer horses on the same day at Parx? Yep. Two races after the 2-year-old Stand Up Comic impressed, this 3-year-old filly ran too fast to ignore, even though she only beat Pennsylvania-bred maidens. Some speed but no finish debuting in an open turf-sprint maiden at Monmouth, her home base, but that perhaps was merely a tightener for this second out. Good gate speed, mild duel down the backstretch and into the turn, but she left her pace rival floundering past the three-furlong marker and with a couple taps of the whip after turning for home, Oxana really sparked to life, cornering full of run and drawing steadily clear to win by a pole under mild encouragement through the final furlong. Sales price, considering lack of pedigree, says she was a solid prospect all along. Looks like a sprint-type body. Should at least make some hay in the statebred-restricted stakes ranks.