Breakout Beyers: Reinvestment Risk has growth potential

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

Reinvestment Risk

Aug 1, 1st race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 90
6f, 1:09.95, 1st by 7 3/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Upstart–Ridingwiththedevil, by Candy Ride
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Summer yearling 2019 – $140,000; OBS March 2yo 2020 – $280,000
Owner: Klaravich Stable
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings

Mark one down in the column for buying the horse, not the pedigree, as this is a lovely looking colt with fine action sired by a first-crop sire by Flatter, and who has no black type until one goes back three generations. It’s a California family (Batonnier, etc.) and while the dam was somewhat limited, she was a low allowance-class performer who raced in routes rather than sprints. Reinvestment Risk broke alertly in this, his career debut, was between horses, and had to wait at the three-furlong marker while racing inside before Irad Ortiz released the brake pedal and cleverly snuck through along the fence. And this race, supposedly populated with some of the sharpest 2-year-olds at Saratoga, was over at the top of the stretch, though Reinvestment Risk did wander slightly off his line, presumably just from mild greenness. This was the fastest juvenile Beyer so far this year, and the timing seems right for the Hopeful, the Champagne, or the Breeders’ Futurity, and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, since he seems like that kind of horse.

Happier

July 31, 5th race, Del Mar, MdSpWt56k
Beyer: 89
7f, 1:24.28, 1st by 3 1/4 lengths
b. f. 3, Street Sense–On My Way, by Giant’s Causeway
Noteworthy siblings: King Zachary (Curlin) – G3 Matt Winn S.
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2018 – $800,000
Owner: Baoma Corporation
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Breeder: Waymore LLC

Late to make her career debut and didn’t even post an official work until May 2020. Shadow roll and blinkers for the unveiling, where she showed good gate speed, made the front, and controlled the pace on a dull racing strip. Got two cracks of the whip, but the outcome never looked in doubt for a filly bet down to favoritism – unsurprising given the workouts, purchase price, and luxury-brand trainer. This filly looks like a robust specimen and could be one of those horses who is naturally fast without being a “speed horse.” Both sides of her pedigree are loaded with route influences, and it would be surprising if she can’t stretch out. Even with the belated beginning, which obviously raises some general soundness concerns, the future looks bright here.

Bodenheimer

July 29, 2nd race, Canterbury, MdSpWt24k
Beyer: 82
5f, turf, 55.60, 1st by 11 1/4 lengths
b.c.3, Atta Boy Roy–Beautiful Daniele, by A.P. Indy
Noteworthy siblings: King of Speed (Jimmy Creed) – Multiple turf-route stakes winner
Auctions: Washington yearling and mixed 2019 – $27,000
Owner: Kristin Boice and Marylou Holden
Trainer: Valorie Lund
Breeder: Larry Romaine

Canterbury Park on a Wednesday evening – not a hotbed of nationally notable Thoroughbred talent, you wouldn’t think. But think again. Recent years have seen Amy’s Challenge and Mr. Jagermeister make their career debuts as 2-year-olds at Canterbury, earning Beyers near the top of their class, and Bodenheimer is trained by Valorie Lund, Mr. Jagermeister’s trainer. Mr. Jagermeister, at his best, is a Grade 3 sort of sprinter; Bodenheimer might be better. Bodenheimer didn’t break on top, but he made the lead in two strides and controlled this race while in hand and traveling powerfully. Keep in mind, the Canterbury course can get very quick, which is why the Beyer for this very fast raw time wasn’t even faster, but after blowing the race wide open on the turn, Bodenheimer got his last furlong in 11.08 seconds. He did this well within himself, and while he’s not going to be a mile-and-a-half horse, he could, at some point, get a mile. The sibling of note was a turf horse, but the trainer believes this colt will turn out better on dirt than grass.

Ima Pharoah

Aug. 1, 4th race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 84
7f, 1:23.28, 1st by 2 1/2 lengths
b.c.3, American Pharoah–Im a Dixie Girl, by Dixie Union
Noteworthy siblings: Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) – multiple G1 winner
Auctions: None
Owner: Charles Fipke
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Charles Fipke

He’d been going to the front and stopping until this race, his first in blinkers, and after four runner-up finishes to begin his career, Ima Pharoah broke through. Now, did he do it in hand, like there was plenty more in the tank? No, not at all. Jockey Irad Ortiz really got after him in the stretch with the whip, presumably with the knowledge that this colt had been hesitant to properly finish off his races. Five starts and Pletcher has yet to try him farther than seven furlongs, despite the fact his $1.6 million-earning brother, Mor Spirit, was an eight- to nine-furlong horse. But that makes sense watching him race, since Ima Pharoah is not especially long of leg and doesn’t stride over a lot of ground. So, a step forward here, yes, but probably not a step toward stardom, by any means.

First Line

July 29, 4th race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k

Beyer: 85
1 1/8 miles, 1:49.94, 1st by neck
ch. g. 3, First Samurai–Street Line, by Street Cry
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: None found
Owner: Noda Brothers
Trainer: Orlando Noda
Breeder: Sather Family

Not sure this race was especially strong, but the top two did finish well clear of third, and First Line’s breakout came in his first try around two turns. One can see why he liked the longer trip – he’s quite a large horse with the frame and stride of a grinding stayer. How much upside that confers remains to be seen, but if nothing else he was game in victory after a long battle with the second-place finisher.