Breakout Beyers: Impressive-looking colt Forte should improve with distance

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

Forte

May 27, 1st race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 81

5f 58.21 – 1st by 7 3/4 lengths

b. c. 2, Violence – Queen Caroline, by Blame

Auctions: Keeneland November breeding 2020 – $80,000; Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $110,000

Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Breeder: South Gate Farm

Mr. Pletcher very often wins these early Belmont 2-year-old races. Just last year it was Wit winning his debut going five furlongs on June 5 before going on to win the Sanford and finish second in the Hopeful. Wit, who got a 70 Beyer first time out, wasn’t just a fast, precocious 2-year-old but had figured out early how to race, and that’s how Forte seems, as well. He sat third early, passed willingly, changed leads on cue, and ran straight – about as much as you could ask for. And he ran fast – an 81 Beyer for a May 2-year-old is strong. Won by a wide margin and galloped out much farther in front than that, and from the video, he appears to be a grand-looking colt with a lot of size and heft for his age. He’s the first foal to race from a dam who was just about graded stakes class as a turf-route horse, and more distance should be Forte’s friend as the summer unfolds.

Top of the Charts

May 28, 3rd race Churchill, MdSpWt120k

Beyer: 87

6f 1:09.04 – 1st by 2 3/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Maclean’s Music – Tiz Ro, by Hard Spun

Owner: Raroma Stables

Trainer: Brian Lynch

Breeder: Rajendra Maharajh

Brian Lynch trained the dam, a homebred, and both of this horse’s siblings that raced, so there’s plenty of family knowledge here. The family has been more turf than dirt (Tiz Ro is a sister to the Grade 1 turf winner Jambalaya) but Top of the Charts, making a somewhat belated career debut, looked very much like a dirt sprinter. Didn’t break on top from post 2 but was out of the gate well enough and his first several strides were very fast, propelling him to the lead along the inside. He took pace pressure into and around the turn but cut the corner nimbly and kicked clear in upper stretch, never challenged thereafter while finishing professionally under strong hand-urging. The Churchill surface obviously was playing fast, since 1:09 flat didn’t even get him a 90 Beyer; speed was good throughout the card, but that’s nearly always the case on dirt. Does not necessarily have the look of a horse to stretch right out – but does not necessarily have to.

Me and My Shadow

May 28, 2nd race Woodbine, MdSpWt73k

Beyer: 76

5f Tapeta 57.18 – 1st by 4 lengths

b. f. 2, Violence – Silhouette, by Smart Strike

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $185,000

Owner: D. J. Stable

Trainer: Mark Casse

Breeder: Hill ‘N’ Dale Equine Holdings and N.E.T.P.

This was an impressive unveiling from a filly who must have worked well to go off the 7-5 favorite, a Canadian-bred debuting in an open maiden. She was tapped for some speed out of the gate and supplied it, but second favorite Born Dapper latched onto her flank just after the start, and the pair dueled into and around the turn. Emma Wilson put Me and My Shadow to pressure after turning for home, and her mount responded, quickly opening daylight on the pace rival and pulling clear to the wire thanks to a sparkling 11.63-second final furlong. That was best in the race, noteworthy since the filly also laid down the fastest opening furlong. She continued widening through the gallop-out and was pulled up with her ears still pricked. Speed from the sire, who’s offspring typically don’t want to run very far, but the dam was a route horse as was the second dam.

Boston Tea Party

May 29, 5th race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 87

6f turf 1:08.31 – 1st by 4 lengths

b. c. 3, American Pharoah – Pirate’s Trove, by Speightstown

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $140,000

Owner: Paul Braverman, Gold Square, Timothy Pinch, and Cheveaux Racing

Trainer: Anthony Dutrow

Breeder: Josham Farms

First-time starter was the second-longest shot at 11-1 in a seven-horse field and proved much the best. Gave up ground loss, going three paths wide with no cover around the turn, for a clean trip perched outside dueling leaders, and had no trouble quickening past the top two and going clear before the furlong grounds. No one came close to him thereafter as Boston Tea Party went his final furlong in a field-best 11.49. Even while powering to the front he got his head up quite high and continued with that less-than-desirable carriage while running away with the win – just something to note. The dam won her debut and her first three starts, all while racing on synthetics as a 2-year-old of 2014 but didn’t win again in five subsequent starts while never stretching out.

Ninetyfour Expos

May 29, 2nd race Woodbine, MdSpWt78k

Beyer: 72

5f Tapeta 57.90 – 1st by 8 1/4 lengths

b. c. 2, Outwork – Simply Good, by Sky Classic

Auctions: Keeneland January all ages 2021 – $42,000; Fasig-Tipton Kentucky summer yearling 2021 – $80,000

Owner: D. J. Stable

Trainer: Mark Casse

Breeder: Robert Marzilli

Two Woodbine cards in a row with a Breakout Beyer 2-year-old winner for owner D. J. Stable and trainer Mark Casse. I’d take the filly on May 28 over this colt, who had an easier trip, clocked a slower raw time, and already had raced once. A moderate third in his debut but was bet here like he couldn’t lose – understandable, the way things unfolded. Sent to the front and went clear, and after nobody came close to applying pressure around the turn, it was game over in the stretch. Colt does have a nice, long, bounding stride. The female family moves quickly into Illinois-bred stakes horses, starting with second dam, Ms. Lydonia, who won going two turns.