Breakout Beyers: Naughty Gal has pedigree to stretch out off sprint win

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

Naughty Gal

July 4, 4th race Churchill, MdSpWt120k

Beyer: 75

6 furlongs 1:10.35 – 1st by 9 1/4 lengths

b. f. 2, Into Mischief – Conway Two Step, by Spanish Steps

Auctions: Fasig-Tipton fall mixed 2020 – $200,000; Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $240,000 (RNA); OBS March 2yo 2022 – $350,000

Owner: Holy Cow Stable

Trainer: Wayne Lukas

Breeder: Loren Nichols

She must merely have gotten tired in her career debut, where she did have some late trouble while finishing a fading fourth, because this second race marked a major step forward for Naughty Gal. She broke third or fourth in an 11-runner field and quickly went up to contest the pace with 2-1 favorite Stunningly, who raced to her inside. The two leaders went head-to-head down the backstretch and partway around the turn, but at the three-furlong marker Naughty Gal asserted, and by the quarter pole she had a clear lead. Her lead change in upper stretch was flawless and under moderate urging the filly drew steadily clear, galloping out with good energy though geared down before getting to the seven-furlong pole around the clubhouse turn. She has the opposite of a high knee action; the filly is one of those horses that throws her legs out nearly straight-legged. She’s not the prettiest mover but her speed obviously was effective. Naughty Gal was popular at auction and looks like the fastest foal to race among six from the dam, who, it should be noted, won a stakes race when she was stretched from sprints to a route.

Procrastination

July 4, 8th race Los Alamitos Racecourse, MdSpWt51k

Beyer: 74

5 furlongs 56.97 – 1st by 8 lengths

ch. f. 2, Not This Time – Sky Saver, by Super Saver

Auctions: Fasig-Tipton October yearling – $72,000

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

Breeder: Ramspring Farm

Liked this filly a lot more than I expected, figuring I’d see a sprinty, compact model who’d merely dominated a Los Al group with raw speed. True, she did dominate with speed, but there could be more substance here for stakes races later this summer and into the fall. She threw her head slightly at the start and was one of the last ones out of the gate, but Procrastination showed excellent athleticism her second and third strides to beat everyone to the front. She was aggressively ridden into the turn while leading and the rider went to the crop at the quarter pole as she began to pull away from six rivals, but it was the way the filly strode out through the final furlong that really caught the eye. She’s not made like a five-furlong sprinter and the farther into the race she got, the more she extended her action. The dam couldn’t even win a $10,000 maiden-claimer and has thrown nothing of note so far, but this filly might be all right.

Naughty Lottie

July 9, 3rd race Louisiana Downs, MdSpWt20k

Beyer: 71

5 furlongs 58.83 – 1st by 15 lengths

b. f. 2, Midnight Lute – Scarlet Emerald, by Desert Party

Auctions: OBS spring 2-year-old 2022 – $17,000

Owner: Mike Power

Trainer: Justin Jeansonne

Breeder: Jason Hall, Herschel Martingale, Joe Wheeler

Okay, it’s six maidens for a $20,000 purse at Louisiana Downs, and the chances of Naughty Lottie turning out to be a stakes horse on a bright stage are low, but the options this week were light, and she did look good in this race. The filly didn’t have a ton of speed and was hooked three paths wide into the turn, but she disposed of the two pace rivals to her inside with ease before the head of the stretch and effortlessly went clear. The huge margin of victory appeared to come easily, Naughty Lottie changed leads on cue, and she has a smooth, efficient way of going and the body of a middle-distance horse. Have to figure she won impressively and fast enough that some purchase offers have come in.

Winit

July 8, 5th race Belmont, MdSpWt90k

Beyer: 91

1 mile 1:35.60 – 1st by 3 lengths

gr. c. 3, Tapit – I Like to Whim, by Medaglia d’Oro

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $410,000

Owner: Whisper Hill Farm

Trainer: John Kimmel

Breeder: Debbie Oxley

He took four starts to win a maiden race, finally doing so in July of his 3-year-old season, factors that often suggest a fairly low ceiling even on a maiden winner with a 90-plus Beyer. But there are some things to like. His two starts at age 2 suggested a horse just not ready to race, and his 3-year-old debut came in a good Belmont heat won by promising Artorius, a Chad Brown-trained colt. In this start, Winit didn’t break especially sharp, and while the short comment from the chart crew says he was hustled, that was only for a few strides, after which the speed to get onto the pace came more organically. Pulled away nicely in upper stretch but then got green or tired, drifting out and awkwardly changing leads in the final half-furlong. The big name close up in the pedigree is multiple Grade 1-winning turf filly New Money Honey.