Breakout Beyers: Pricey yearling buy Nabokov pays off with 91 maiden win

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

Nabokov

May 15, 1st race Belmont, MdSpWt87k

Beyer: 91

1 1/16M 1:42.48 – 1st by 3 1/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Uncle Mo – Peppy Rafaela, by Bernardini

Noteworthy siblings: Mopotism (Uncle Mo) – graded stakes winner, G1-placed, $876K earnings

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $775,000

Owner: Peter Brant

Trainer: Chad Brown

Breeder: Frank Batten

This colt had good sprint speed breaking from the rail making his career debut at Keeneland, where he held on well to finish second. Post 1 again and went to the front, pulling a little too hard for his head through the first 1 1/2 furlongs, though nothing drastic, and soon was decently in hand for Irad Ortiz Jr. Nabokov traveled comfortably throughout, edging clear in upper stretch while still under a hand ride, changing leads on cue. Ortiz, perhaps sensing his mount losing focus or tiring, cropped him once a few strides before the finish, but by then the outcome had been decided. This was something of a parade race, with little change in position through the homestretch, but not going to hold that against him. An efficient mover bred at least for middle distances; bottom side of pedigree (third dam’s sire) does trace back to noted speed influence Raja Baba. Two good races now for a pricey yearling buy who ought to be stakes-class if he learns to switch off and continues developing.

Omaha Red

May 13, 3rd race Hawthorne, MdSpWt40k

Beyer: 88

6f 1:09.43 – 1st by 12 1/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Daaher – Upsetter, by Strong Hope

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2020 – $62,000

Owner: Wolfe Racing and Hugh Robertson

Trainer: Hugh Robertson

Breeder: Paul Tackett Revocable Trust

These are the same connections that campaign Two Emmys, the turf route horse who won the Grade 1 Mr. D. stakes last August and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial in March. Two Emmys cost only $4,500 (owner-trainer Robertson has proven a master finding inexpensive yearlings that can run) and Robertson said he only paid as much as he did for this colt because his dam is a sister to former stable star and near millionaire Hotshot Anna. Omaha Red was decent in his Polytrack debut last summer at Arlington, poor in a Keeneland turf sprint last October, and much better when nosed out of a Hawthorne maiden dirt sprint win making his 3-year-old debut. Here, he took early pressure after breaking smartly from post 1 but shrugged off the other speed and crushed foes through the stretch run. It was most impressive that after setting a good pace he was able to get his last quarter-mile in 22.95 seconds, which is more like a turf finish than one on dirt, much less from a maiden. Fast, still has ample room to improve, and could easily stretch out.

Rondure

May 14, 10th race Woodbine, MdSpWt77k

Beyer: 86

7f Tapeta 1:22.73 – 1st by 10 3/4 lengths

b. c. 3, Oxbow – Carat Weight, by Trajectory

Auctions: Canada Ontario winter mixed 2019 – $6,014 (RNA)

Owner: Borders Racing Stable

Trainer: Katerina Vassilieva

Breeder: Borders Racing Stable

The colt had two very modest runs last year at age 2, changed barns, and improved exponentially in his 3-year-old debut – an eye-catching Tapeta romp. Broke sharply but wound up stalking the pace from fourth under Shaun Bridgmohan, who had cover moving three paths wide around the first part of the turn, but then went four paths wide when the cover was taking him nowhere and Rondure was full of run. Slipped back into the three path but still went the second part of the sweeping Woodbine turn with no cover, which mattered not a bit. Bridgmohan threw a couple crosses as Rondure pounced on the leaders past the quarter pole, and once the colt changed leads he took off, sprinting away from the rest of the field while zipping his final furlong in 11.79 seconds, galloping out far in front. The final figure didn’t come back as strong as the visual impression, likely in part because of a moderate early and middle pace.

Touchuponastar

May 13, 7th race Evangeline, La.-bred MdSpWt25k

Beyer: 88

7f 1:22.82 – 1st by 21 1/4 lengths

b. g. 3, Star Guitar – Touch Magic, by Lion Heart

Auctions: Texas yearling and horses of racing age 2020 – $15,000

Owner: Set-Hut

Trainer: Jeff Delhomme

Breeder: Coteau Grove Farms

Hard to believe he lost his debut, but a poor break and a wide trip going six furlongs March 27 at Fair Grounds led to a second-place finish. Gelding got away cleanly this time and absolutely cruised under the Evangeline lights, setting the pace while well in hand and was never asked for anything as he widened to a huge win, albeit against overmatched Louisiana-bred maidens. In upper stretch he raced somewhat greenly, head cocked out and not running entirely straight while slow to change leads, but once jockey Tim Thornton got him to switch, Touchuponastar went smoothly to and through the wire, galloping out into a different parish than his rivals. He’s the third foal to race from his dam, who won the 2013 Silverbulletday Stakes over one mile and 70 yards at Fair Grounds; the pedigree has stamina to accommodate a stretch-out. If nothing else, he can be a dominant Louisiana-bred.

Lady T

May 15, 3rd race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67k

Beyer: 86

1M 1:37.25 – 1st by 14 1/2 lengths

b. f. 3, Into Mischief – Red Carpet Miss, by Malibu Moon

Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $235,000

Owner: Jerome Moss and Tina Moss

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Breeder: Springhouse Farm and Circular Road Breeders

Hard to know exactly what to make of this. Yes, she won a major-track maiden route by nearly 15 lengths, but the Beyer came back moderate for such a performance, and while the filly has talent, she did not give off “brilliant” vibes. Lady T was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old and, keeping in mind that correlation is not causation, her form leapt forward two starts ago when she raced on Lasix for the first time. Here, in her first route, she broke like a rocket but was headed off by an inside speed horse into the first turn. They went fast early, Lady T going with her ears pinned and mouth open around the bit, but she had little trouble disposing of her pace rival and opening up. Her action is far from beautiful and she’s a bit of a tank, but the result, obviously, was definitive.

Ephrata

May 15, 4th race Woodbine, MdSpWt

Beyer: 83

7f Tapeta 1:23.14 – 1st by 9 1/2 lengths

b. f. 3, Ghostzapper – Grand Jete, by Dansili

Owner: Mark Dodson

Trainer: Josie Carroll

Breeder: Juddmonte Farms

Juddmonte cull was making her first start of 2022, and first in North America after campaigning overseas for trainers John and Thady Gosden. First foal to race from Juddmonte’s Grand Jete, who started her career overseas, came to America to join the Chad Brown stable, and was a Grade 3 winner routing on turf. The filly was more visually impressive than the final-time figure, which was on the very low end of Breakout Beyer qualification, but she did win by a wide margin without being asked for much at all, getting her final quarter in 23.14 seconds. Return to turf could be in her future.