Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive. Prate Dec. 19, 12th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt50k Beyer: 90 6f 1:09.81, 1st by 4 1/4 lengths gr. c. 2, Into Mischief – Vaunting, by Exchange Rate Owner: Juddmonte Farms Trainer: Brad Cox Breeder: Juddmonte Farms Permit me to quote my own tweet just after this colt’s debut: “Brick walls were scrambling to get out of his way at the furlong grounds.” Point being, this was a gray freight train coming across the prairie at top speed after asserting his physical presence past the quarter pole when jockey Florent Geroux steered him off the rail from behind the lead pair. A much smaller colt occupied the spot Geroux wanted and Prate simply occupied that horse’s space and took off after Blameworthy, a second-time starter who’d been a fine second to the promising colt Swiftsure in his debut earlier this meet. Blameworthy never knew what hit him as Prate overwhelmed him in the final half-furlong to win in an extremely sharp performance. The Juddmonte homebred is the first foal to race out of a mare who won her career debut in England, came to America and was a good first-level turf allowance-race winner for Chad Brown, but never started again. Cox, for now, is bearish on Prate’s chances to cover a classic distance and seems settled on sticking to races at one mile or shorter for the time being. Wipe the Slate Dec. 26, 2nd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt62k Beyer: 88 7f 1:23.42, 1st by 3 1/4 lengths ch. c. 2, Nyquist – Fancy and Flashy, by Zensational Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed 2019 - $60,000; Keeneland September yearling 2019 - $125,000; OBS open horses of racing age 2020 - $175,000 Owner: Reddam Racing Trainer: Doug O’Neil Breeder: Brookfield Stud If nothing else, he made Life Is Good, the Baffert-trained debut winner Nov. 22 at Del Mar, look even better since that colt beat him 9 1/2 lengths, albeit while Wipe the Slate was racing without blinkers. Went through three auctions, plucked out of the one this past July by the trainer’s brother Dennis O’Neill, who surely is on the lookout for offspring of Nyquist, who won the Derby for these connections. He got right into this race from the start, first tracking the top pair, then perched three paths wide around the far turn, making the front at the head of the stretch and drawing away steadily from the furlong grounds to the wire. Modest gallop-out but his main work had ended well before the finish and he already was downshifting at the line. Pedigree suggests miler, but it was a good sign on the distance front that he showed considerable improvement stretching from six to seven furlongs. Hunkers low to the ground when he gets serious and stretches his stride nicely – just like his dad. Arham Dec. 17, 7th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt40k Beyer: 91 6f 1:10.13, 1st by 7 lengths b. c. 3, Union Rags – Sanaaya, by Smart Strike Owner: Shadwell Stable Trainer: Todd Pletcher Breeder: Shadwell Farm Short field, late-season older-horse maiden race, so let’s not get carried away. Still, all things considered, this was a noteworthy debut from Arham, who was bet to 3-5 for his unveiling. Shadwell homebred was working toward a 2-year-old debut in New York before something went amiss and was plenty ready for this. Sat third early, went to press the leader around the turn while ridden aggressively from the three-eighths to the top of the stretch, but once onto the lead, the rider eased up and this colt went to the wire basically on his own. Always encouraging when a horse with a route-looking body, stride, and pedigree can win a sprint debut like this, and his gallop-out offered further clues that direction. Obviously the age and delayed career start lower the ceiling. Greatest Honour Dec. 26, 7th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt40k Beyer: 83 1 1/16M 1:43.86, 1st by 1 1/2 lengths b. c. 2, Tapit – Tiffany’s Honour, by Street Cry Owner: Courtlandt Farm Trainer: Shug McGaughey Breeder: Courtlandt Farm Took four tries to clear the maiden ranks, but he’s all right. Has been kept off Lasix so far, too, perhaps with an eye toward Lasix-free Derby prep-race runs in 2021. Twice went seven furlongs before running a close second at nine furlongs at Aqueduct in third start, and while he was an odds-on favorite to win this maiden route, his task was made more difficult when a horse racing just in front of him unseated the jockey midway around the clubhouse turn, pushing paceless Greatest Honour even farther off the lead. He had to rally wide around the far turn while under an aggressive ride, yet still got to the front in plenty of time and won going away. Now, we list no “noteworthy siblings” here, but his is a pedigree of note since the winless dam is out of blue hen mare Better Than Honour, who produced not one but two Belmont Stakes winners, Jazil and Rags to Riches. This colt’s lack of brilliance could be an issue at some point in the spring, but from the look of things, he’d probably suit the Belmont Stakes himself, if all goes well. By George Dec. 19, 5th race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k Beyer: 80 6f 1:13.58, 1st by 5 1/4 lengths b. c. 2, Into Mischief – Phoenician Moon, by Malibu Moon Noteworthy siblings: Arizona Moon (Macho Uno) – stakes winner, $155K earnings Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 - $190,000 Owner: Jump Sucker Stable, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider Trainer: Christophe Clement Breeder: H. Allen Poindexter Went to the front from post 1 on a totally dead track (note the winning six-furlong time) and won in a gallop. Hard to know what, exactly, to make of the performance given the radical track condition. Pedigree hints races at one turn will suit him best. The Chosen Vron Dec. 27, 8th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt63k Beyer: 86 6.5f 1:16.74, 1st by 6 3/4 lengths ch. g. 2, Vronsky – Tiz Molly, by Tiz Wonderful Owner: J. Eric Kruljac, Robert Fetkin, John Sondereker, and Richard Thornburgh Trainer: J. Eric Kruljac Breeder: Tiz Molly Partners Bet to favoritism debuting in a California-bred maiden sprint and made the 2-1 odds look like a gift as he aired on the front end. Not sure what that means vis a vis open competition or stakes racing, but with this kind of unveiling, he should at least have a say in some Cal-bred stakes, and the pedigree hints a middle distance could work. Nicky the Vest Dec. 18, 9th race Aqueduct, MdSpWt70k Beyer: 82 1M 1:40,67, 1st by 3 1/4 lengths b. c. 2, Runhappy – Tazarine, by Cat Thief Noteworthy siblings: Mom’s Choice (Kitten’s Joy) – stakes-winner, $269k earnings Auctions: OBS yearling 2019 - $110,000 Owner: Robert LaPenta Trainer: Jonathan Thomas Breeder: Highclere Debuted in a one-mile New York-bred maiden while facing 11 foes, went to the front from post 1 with an early burst, and never came close to being threatened. The sire’s major win came sprinting but there is plenty of stay on the dam’s side of this pedigree, and as well as this colt won, he could easily get a shot, and soon, in open competition.