Breakout Beyers: Kiss Today Goodbye gets an asterisk
Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.
By Marcus Hersh
O Seraphina
Feb. 22, 10th race, Oaklawn, MdSpWt85k
Beyer: 84
1 1/16m, dirt fast, 1:44.33
ch. f. 3, Congrats-Deherewego, by Dehere
Owner: Scott and Evan Dilworth, Randy and Susan Andrews
Trainer: Joe Sharp
Breeder: Carolin Von Rosenberg/ Mike Yovankin
Second maiden win of her career. She was a post-race DQ from the first of them, at Fair Grounds, because of a levamisole positive, and was exiting a runner-up finish to the mighty Taraz (RIP) in the Martha Washington. Easy lead at odds-on but traveled strongly throughout and was impressive here. Improving filly figures to return to stakes action.
Kiss Today Goodbye
Feb 22, 4th race, Santa Anita, MdSpWt56l
Beyer: 89*
1m, dirt fast, 1:37.25
b. c. 3, Cairo Prince-Savvy Hester, by Heatseeker
Owner: John Sondereker
Trainer: J. Eric Kruljac
Breeder: Debmar Stables
*This figure could be subject to change. Andy Beyer has this to say about the race: “This was a very fast race, nearly four full seconds faster than a claiming event that was run 30 minutes earlier at Santa Anita. Our colleague Randy Moss clocked the race, and the time was correct. Yet I don’t fully trust the figure. . . . In the last month, the Santa Anita track has been very changeable, sometimes becoming faster or slower by many Beyer points from one race to the next. Not only did Kiss Today Goodbye improved significantly on his previous performances, but so did three others among the top five finishers – a warning sign that the high number might have been an aberration. We will be looking closely at the subsequently performances of horses in this field.”
Linny Kate
Feb. 23, 6th race, Gulfstream, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 81
1m, turf firm, 1:35.24
b. f. 3, Tonalist-Quintile, by Langfuhr
Owner: Pick Five Racing
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Nursery Place, Donaldson, and Broadbent
No one better in North America with firsters in turf routes than trainer Chad Brown. From wide draw this scopey filly worked out a decent trip, going along two paths off the fence in mid-pack on a loose rein. She didn’t show push-button acceleration and might want a little more ground than this but did come home nicely once Irad Ortiz stoked her into high gear on the far outside the final furlong.
Vintage Print
Feb 22, 4th race, Gulfstream, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 81
1m, turf firm, 1:35.47
b. c. 3, Curlin-Molly Morgan, by Ghostzapper
Owner: OXO Equine
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
Two dirt starts at age 2, the second of which came with blinkers added and was a disaster. First turf here but has a versatile pedigree and it probably wasn’t the surface switch alone that triggered considerable improvement. Castellano worked out a perfect trip, but on the other hand the colt won comfortably. Some upside.
Ikeisgreat
Feb. 22, 1st race, Gulfstream, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 84
5f, dirt good, 57.41
b. c. 3, Munnings-She’ll Heir, by Wildcat Heir
Owner: Loudmouth Racing
Trainer: Kelsey Danner
Breeder: Buck Pond Farm
A 29-point Beyer jump in third career start. Was second time Lasix and first-time Lasix and caught a sloppy track and raced with blinkers, which were removed for this off-turf short sprint. Sire Munnings is on a run and some of his get have gone longer, but with this pedigree cross the five-furlong distance was right in his wheelhouse. Seemingly little behind him. High knee action – turf in future?
Empire of Gold
Feb.22 5th race, Sam Houston, MdSpWt36k
Beyer: 84
5 ½f, dirt fast, 1:04.01
b. c. 3, Goldencents-Empire Diva, by Empire Maker
Owner: Johnny Evans and Terry Eoff
Trainer: Terry Eoff
Breeder: W C Racing
Had two 6 ½-furlong starts and two at six furlongs behind him coming into this race, and perhaps the cutback to a shorter sprint brought forth the career-best showing. Definitive winner but it took him awhile to get to this point, and while HOU competition is up this year, it still is a few cuts below the top.