Breakout Beyers: Prime Factor shows steam

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

Prime Factor

Dec. 12, 2nd race Gulfstream, MdSpWt40k
Beyer: 85
6f, 1:10.38, 1st by 8 3/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Quality Road – Haylie Brae, by Bernardini
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $900,000
Owner: China Horse Club and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Two Hearts Farm

Pletcher’s first steamer of the Gulfstream winter a typically professional debut winner from this soon-to-be Hall of Fame trainer. The immediate family isn’t obviously strong, and the dam went winless from four starts, but Prime Factor’s third dam is the blue hen mare Classy ’n Smart, so there’s pedigree power here. Also bred to get at least one mile though he was plenty quick for six furlongs, showing good gate speed, pressing the leader as the top two opened a wide margin on the rest of the field. Got a couple light taps from the rider in upper stretch before doing most of the work under his own courage. Pretty nice stretching stride here. Wonder if they look for a longer allowance race or go straight into stakes competition.

Moonlight d’Oro

Dec. 13, 5th race Los Alamitos, MdSpWt43k
Beyer: 87
1M, 1:35.58, 1st by 3 lengths
b. f. 2, Medaglia d’Oro – Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $620,000
Owner: Myracehorse.com & Spendthrift Farm
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Breeder: Stonehaven Steadings

Had been 3-5 making her career debut over five furlongs in early August at Del Mar, so the expectations, clearly, always had been present, but it took a stretch-out to two turns in her third start for the latent talent to be made manifest. Tracked on the outside and in the clear, going smoothly around the first turn, down the backstretch, and into the second turn, coming up to attack Frosteria, the well-bet second choice, approaching the quarter pole. Moonlight d’Oro came under considerable urging to pass the leader and take command, but she responded to it well, was much the best, and the runner-up had more than 11 lengths on the show horse. Not much of a gallop-out – no surprise since she was already being geared down at the wire, her work complete. Standard issue major SoCal 3-year-old route-stakes prospect early in 2021 for Mandella & Co.

Risk Taking

Dec. 13, 4th race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k
Beyer: 81
1 1/8M, 1:53.14, 1st by 2 1/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Medaglia d’Oro – Run a Risk, by Distorted Humor
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $240,000
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: G. Watts Humphrey

Nine-furlong 2-year-old maiden winners inherently tilt toward grinders, but think this colt has more to him than that. Was 5-1 making his third career start following a dirt-sprint debut, in which he performed modestly, and a similar showing trying a yielding-course turf route. Blinkers went on for this move back to the main track, and everything clicked here. Tracked the pace from the inside and had that poised but relaxed manner about him the entire trip, which one loves to see in a young route prospect. Inside leader stopped in front of him past the half-mile pole, and Risk Taking went around him, jumping right onto the back of the two still left on the engine while awaiting the jockey’s cue. He was asked to go after the pair in front of him in upper stretch, did so readily, and lengthened nicely to the wire, looking more like a colt with some gears than a one-paced plodder. Interesting winter prospect.

Witsel

Dec. 9, 6th race Tampa Bay, MdSpWt20k
Beyer: 85
6f, 1:10.24, 1st by 13 1/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Nyquist – Bailzee, by Grand Slam
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – RNA $72,000
Owner: CM Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Carlos Munoz
Breeder: Elm Tree Farm

Well, that was ridiculous. Note the win margin, which was huge, and that the colt won his debut so easily the jockey literally was petting his mane as they crossed the wire. Broke from an inside post and while he showed speed a rival to the outside was slightly faster, got a half-length on him down the backstretch, and Witsel was in a slightly tight spot along the fence, the pacesetter failing to clear and racing just ahead of and outside him. The colt didn’t appear to care one iota about this circumstance, which would’ve intimidated many first-time starters. In fact, Witsel looked entirely self-contained from start to finish, moving up smoothly to take the lead before the quarter pole and absolutely jogging home – though this wasn’t a jog, the 85 Beyer very much above par for any 2-year-old debut runner, much less one in a $20,000 race. Ran in front bandages, for whatever that’s worth, and I mention it in part because if he hasn’t been sold yet, there surely have been plenty of interested parties.

Miss Dracarys

Dec. 4, 2nd race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k
Beyer: 82
6f turf, 1:10.45, 1st by 1 length
b. f. 2, Malibu Moon – Ask Me When, by Speightstown
Noteworthy siblings: Up the Ante (Smart Strike) – stakes winner, $299K earnings; Aristocratic (Malibu Moon) – stakes winner, $361K earnings
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $525,000
Owner: Al Shira’aa Farms
Trainer: Neil Drysdale
Breeder: Castleton Lyons and Kilboy Estate

Aqueduct, turf sprint in December, trainer Neil Drysdale – none of this computes, yet this filly definitely bears watching. Making her career debut, Miss Dracarys raced somewhat rank near the back of a bulky field, traveling strongly through the middle stages while just allowing herself to be restrained by her jockey and moving into position. She had push-button acceleration when the rider let her out after turning for home, and it briefly looked like she’d get through along the fence. But that hole closed, forcing horse and rider to wait again, the pair bursting between horses when a seam opened inside the six