Breakout Beyers: Mandaloun overcomes trouble

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

Mandaloun

Oct. 24, 10th race Keeneland, MdSpWt65k
Beyer: 74
6 furlongs 1:11.76; 1st by 1/2 length
b. c. 3, Into Mischief – Brooch, by Empire Maker
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None
Owner: Juddmonte Farms
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Khalid Abdullah

Not all half-length wins are created equal now, are they? The secret was . . . well, there was no secret here, this physically imposing colt going off at just over even money. He broke fine and was briefly in contention, but then began losing position approaching the half-mile pole and was mildly shuffled, at the nadir of his performance, back to eighth. Into the turn and approaching the three-furlong pole, Florent Geroux was really asking his mount, but then, at the five-sixteenths pole, Geroux eased up, feeling that Mandaloun had gotten back underneath him and was traveling fine on his own. One problem – a wall of horses blocking their path to victory. Geroux tried for one hole, which closed, and angled out for a second one but, sensing he wouldn’t cleanly get through, dove down to the inside, Mandaloun coming and coming to overtake the leader yards before the wire. Interestingly, Geroux smacked his neck with a rein going into the turn while galloping out as Mandaloun seemed either to be getting out or getting aggressive with the horse to his outside. This is the second foal from a dam who comes from a stamina-laden turf family and who was a stakes-level middle-distance horse in Ireland. Dirt seems fine for Mandaloun, a colt who was in no way truly meant to win a sprint debut but did so because he might be really talented.

Classier

Oct. 24, 9th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt57k
Beyer: 78
6 1/2 furlongs 1:16.94; 1st by 4 lengths
b. c. 2, Empire Maker – Class Will Tell, by Bernardini
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $775,000
Owner: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Golconda Stables, Siena Farm
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Mary Sullivan

This looks like a case of buying the individual, not the pedigree. Not that Classier has a bad pedigree (all the broodmare sires are high-enders) but there’s no black type in his first two dam’s side generations, yet this colt fetched a big number as a yearling. This colt’s first timed work came May 20, and while he might have missed one work since hitting the tab, the pattern has been very solid, and one guesses Baffert was just waiting on what looks like a serious physical specimen to grow into his frame. Which, apparently, he has. Debuted in a shadow roll and tiny blinkers, broke alertly from the fence, went clear while going easily, and never had an anxious moment. Seriously – this was a stroll in the park. Galloped out like he’ll be happy to tackle more distance next time, and Baffert pre-entered him in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Already know Baffert gets the cream of the crop when it comes to dirt-route prospects, and here’s another.

Clairiere

Oct. 25, 6th race Churchill Downs, MdSpWt84k
Beyer: 74
1 1/16 miles 1:44.85, 1st by 1/2 length
b. f. 2, Curlin – Cavorting, by Bernardini
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None
Owner: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Stonestreet Stables

No noteworthy siblings, but this is the first foal to race out of Cavorting, born in 2012 and one of very best members of her generation, a three-time Grade 1 winner. The Beyer for her daughter’s debut victory won’t blow you away but watching how she won might. Asmussen isn’t a huge one for starting horses off in two-turn races, but not only did she debut in a route, she had no speed and was second to last into the first turn. She climbed while resenting the kickback, and then, going into the backstretch, from the look of her gaping mouth was pulling very hard for her head while held near the back of the field. Began improving position around the far turn while three wide with cover, tipped outside her cover before the quarter pole coming six paths wide into the homestretch, and was resolute while steadily gaining ground, running down the last horse in front of her in the final 50 yards, by then under only hand encouragement. The sky absolutely is the limit here, especially if the filly could develop some positional pace.

Belichick

Oct. 24, 10th race Woodbine. Breeders’ Stakes (Canadian-bred) $501k
Beyer: 87
1 1/2 miles turf 2:32.51, 1st by 4 lengths
b. c. 3, Lemon Drop Kid – Game, by Montjeu
Noteworthy siblings: Season Ticket (Lemon Drop Kid) – stakes winner
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2018 – $300,000
Owner: NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods
Trainer: Josie Carroll
Breeder: Sean Fitzhenry

You’re not going to see many richer maiden victories than this one, which ended stablemate Mighty Heart’s bid for a Canadian Triple Crown. Granted, this was a restricted turf race over 1 1/2 miles, so all those caveats apply, but the middle move to wrest command was excellent and the victory was easy. This is a strong pedigree, regardless of where he was bred, and Belichick was making just his second start on turf and first on turf racing with Lasix. He probably doesn’t “need” a distance this long to race effectively and looked here like a horse who might have a say in the big 2021 turf races at Woodbine.

Hidden Stash

Oct. 24, 8th race Keeneland, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 74
1 1/16 miles 1:45.10, 1st by 3 lengths
ch. c. 2, Constitution – Making Mark Money, by Smart Strike
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $50,000
Owner: BBN Racing
Trainer: Victoria Oliver
Breeder: Rhineshire Farm

Went sprint-sprint-route, often a solid pattern for a young horse, and got a comfortable maiden win, albeit in a fairly modest-looking group. There is plenty, plenty of pedigree in the female family regardless of the sales price, which hardly broke the bank, and it’s no surprise the stretch-out did the trick. The trip, however, was very favorable and not sure how much anyone else in this race fired. Guessing at a more moderate than spectacular future.

Beautiful Gift

Oct. 23, 2nd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt53k
Beyer: 75
1 mile 1:38.26, 1st by 1/2 length
b. f. 2, Medaglia d’Oro – Sea Gift, by A.P. Indy
Noteworthy siblings: Chitu (Henny Hughes) – graded stakes winner $597k
Auctions: None
Owner: Baoma Corporation
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Baoma Corporation

Another Baffert – no surprise. Second-time starter went evenly in her 5 1/2-furlong sprint debut and ground away to a moderate victory here from just off the pace while stretched out to one mile. The dam has had plenty of foals, but only Chitu, trained by Baffert, had higher-level success, winning the Sunland Derby. The family, in fact, leans more toward turf than dirt starting just two generations back, though this filly, on dirt at least, showed no great turn of foot. She could be pretty good but might also be only third or fourth string in this loaded barn.