Breakout Beyers: Hot and Sultry makes big leap from first to second start

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

Hot and Sultry
Jan. 23, 9th race Oaklawn, MdSpWt84k
Beyer: 89
6f 1:10.83 – 1st by 3 3/4 lengths
b. f. 3, Speightster – Hot Water, by Medaglia d’Oro
Noteworthy siblings: Tracksmith (Street Sense) – multiple stakes-winner, $282k earnings
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 - $475,000
Owner: Alex and Joann Lieblong
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Cobalt Investments

Hard not to be taken with the second start of this filly’s career. Breaking from the rail on a wet track first out, she’d finished a solid second in what appears to be a key race, but this performance really showed what she’s all about. Start with the sheer physicality of a filly whom one might mistake for a colt, who broke on top and caught the eye merely leading down the backstretch. She went along on a fairly loose rein, showing plenty of pace while staying in a controlled rhythm, relaxed even when some pace-chasers loomed at her approaching the quarter pole, easily disposing of that group after a professional lead change. The stakes-winning sibling to race did his best in turf routes, and the length of Hot and Sultry’s stride, combined with her apparent tractability, hints she could go farther. Her dam, by stamina influence Medaglia d’Oro, was unraced, so no clues there, though go back to her third dam and you’ll find Hall of Fame sprinter, Xtra Heat. We’ll just have to see about distance, but this definitely looked like a stakes filly.

Armagnac
Jan. 21, 7th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67k
Beyer: 82
1 1/16M 1:46.17 – 1st by 2 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Quality Road – Kitty Wine, by Lemon Drop Kid
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 - $210,000
Owner: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital, Donovan Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Stone Farm and Joseph Sutton

Wasn’t bet much in his sprint debut, where he finished a distant third of sixth, but “they” liked him in this route race, making Armagnac an odds-on favorite. He broke well enough under John Velazquez and took control of the race around the first turn, laying down solid fractions while chased by Piroli, who’d be second all the way around, finishing more than 10 lengths clear of third in the end. There was nothing flashy about this performance, just a standard Baffert-trained young dirt talent who has speed and scope and stamina to race effectively over a route of ground. For whatever reason, the colt got especially green through the last furlong, turning his head to the left while losing a bit of momentum, but his gallop-out suggested he wasn’t especially fatigued. Note the co-breeder, Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm; this colt’s third dam is Bottle Top, second in the 1994 Derby, third in the Preakness for Hancock.

Bird Empress
Jan. 13, 9th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt52k
Beyer: 80
1 1/16M 1:44.83 – 1st by 5 1/4 lengths
b. f. 3, Empire Maker – Bird Harbor, by Boston Harbor
Noteworthy siblings: Bird Maker (Empire Maker) – graded-stakes placed, $166K earnings
Auctions: None
Owner: Marylou Whitney Stables
Trainer: Norman Casse
Breeder: Marylou Whitney Stables

Third time starting filly had been a distant sixth (with some trouble) in a Churchill route maiden following her sprint debut, but the betting public loved her in this spot, Bird Empress taking action from the start of wagering – and running to that money. This race she broke well and made the early lead, displaced before the first turn by an outside-drawn foe, jockey Reylu Gutierrez niftily crossing off heels to get outside his pace adversary. The tempo here was even, Bird Empress keeping up nicely and edging closer past the three-furlong marker, ears pricked and travelling sweetly. Bird Empress took the lead past the quarter pole and began to widen, though she appeared to shy (albeit modestly) from both a left- and right-handed crop approaching the eighth pole. She swapped back to her wrong lead in the final furlong, which suggested she might be tiring, but her gallop-out belied that suggestion, the filly pulling even farther in front of everyone else going to the seven-furlong pole. This Whitney female family has been somewhat quiet since this filly’s third dam, Dear Birdie, produced Grade 1 winners Bird Town (2000) and Birdstone (2001) in consecutive years, but Bird Empress might really be okay.

Sweet Dutchess
Jan. 22, 6th race Tampa Bay, MdSpWt25k
Beyer: 93
1M turf 1:37.37 – 1st by 2 3/4
b. f. 3, Will Take Charge – Sweet Nothings, by Street Cry
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: OBS spring 2yo 2021 - $28,000
Owner: Volar Corporation
Trainer: Kathleen O’Connell
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation

How about this for a Beyer pattern: 40-17-41-62-38-93. There we have Sweet Dutchess, who moved up massively making her turf debut, route debut, first start on Lasix, and second start for trainer Kathleen O’Connell. The number seems high, as this field wasn’t exactly spread out all over the place, but the runner-up also was making her turf debut and the third horse had raced only once, so there’s not obvious evidence pointing it out as flawed. Sweet Dutchess managed to make this huge leap despite a troubled trip, at least in the early stages. Caught in traffic going to the first turn she had to be steadied, which unbalanced her and caused the filly to corner poorly, which in turn led to another steadying incident after turning onto the backstretch. She settled from there and came with a good, long outside run, diving inside the tiring pacesetter to win going away.

Fromanothamutha
Jan. 13, 1st race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k
Beyer: 87
7f 1:22.65 – 1st by 4 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Unified – Prevention, by Aptitude
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: OBS March 2yo 2021 - $120,000
Owner: Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, Craig Taylor, Peter Rinato, Raymond Handal
Trainer: Raymond Handal
Breeder: Todd Frederick, Chad Frederick, Phoenix Farm and Racing

He required six races to clear the maiden ranks, but this breakthrough was authoritative, if somewhat aided by a speed-promoting racing surface. Connections cut him back from nine furlongs in the Remsen Stakes, where he pace-battled and faded badly, though this also marked his first race on Lasix. His one-turn Belmont maiden route two starts back suggested longer trips aren’t obviously inadvisable, since there he held second behind capable colt Mo Donegal, but this colt looked comfortable here at the seven panels. He broke on top, controlled proceedings from the start, and the most visually taking part of the performance came after a very professional lead change as he extended nicely to open a big lead.