Breakout Beyers: Run Classic goes the distance
Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed. Click here for a complete archive.
Run Classic
Feb. 13, 4th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt60k
Beyer: 86
1 1/16 miles 1:44.39, 1st by 3 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Runhappy – Pledge Pin, by Chatain
Auctions: OBS March 2020 – $475,000
Owner: Tom Durant
Trainer: Brett Calhoun
Breeder: Millennium Farms
The dam was a sprint-stakes horse, but watching this colt’s sprint debut, he seemed like he could go long, and he proved that here. First out he was literally run into by the pacesetter while going down the backstretch, trapped inside after breaking from the rail, and Run Classic only seemed to truly get his rhythm and stretch out through the final furlong, galloping out encouragingly. He was tapped for some pace here breaking from post 8, stalked the pace while three deep on both turns, responded immediately when asked to go after the front-runners at about the three-furlong pole, and proved much the best in the homestretch after being dropped over to the fence once clear. The colt still is a little green, running mainly on talent. Has a nice, long barrel and stride to match. Didn’t run quite fast enough to merit serious stakes consideration yet, but did improve upon his first race, doing so while stretching out, and has plenty of potential.
Carribean Caper
Feb. 13, 1st race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt60k
Beyer: 87
6f 1:09.88, 1st by 8 lengths
b. f. 3, Speightstown – Checkupfromzneckup, by Dixie Union
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2019 – $250,000
Owner: Columbine Stable
Trainer Al Stall
Breeder: WinStar Farm
Debut outing for first foal to race from a mare who was herself fast, hitting a 102 career-best Beyer Speed Figure going one mile at Monmouth Park back in 2015. Trainer said the week before the race she had shown talent but doubt anyone expected quite this much. Sure, the Fair Grounds track surface appeared to favor front-runners, especially in sprints, early during this multi-stakes card, but that alone didn’t account for her success. Broke alertly and perched right off the lead, taking over at will and drawing away steadily until the rider, checking behind him, saw the rest of the field left far behind and eased up to the wire. Even so, she galloped out willingly, at least looking like a horse who could handle a longer one-turn race. Patience no doubt will be shown by these connections, with a Keeneland allowance race in April perhaps the likely next start. We’ll look forward to it because this is a runner, fast but controlled and with an appealing, efficient way of going.
Euphoric
Feb. 13, 3rd race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt60k
Beyer: 88
6f 1:09.85, 1st by 10 lengths
ch. f. 3, Frosted – Conquest Soprano, by Super Saver
Auctions: OBS spring 2020 – $50,000
Owner: Naveed Chowhan
Trainer: Bernie Flint
Breeder: Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakin
Got the highest Beyer among the three breakout maiden winners Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds, but also probably has the least upside among that trio. She is legitimately fast, and even accounting for a potential speed bias, she won by a wide enough margin to mitigate some of the beneficial circumstances. This was her seventh start, however, and she appears at this point to be a pure speed horse. Lasix, too, appears to have made a major difference here, since she has raced on the anti-bleeder medication only three times, the first of those on turf. Two starts back, her first dirt try on Lasix, she showed improvement while handily defeated by Breakout Beyer horse Li’l Tootsie, a filly very much flattered by this performance.
Mo Desserts
Feb. 8, 4th race Aqueduct, MdSpWt77k
Beyer: 82
1M 1:38.47, 1st by 15 1/2 lengths
ch. f. 3, Nyquist – Frozen Treats, by Dynaformer
Noteworthy siblings: Catrageous (Tale of the Cat) – stakes winner; Value Engineering (Lemon Drop Kid) – $137K earnings, 92 Beyer; Ketel Twist (Dixie Union) – $192K earnings
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton select Saratoga yearling 2019 – $300,000
Owner: Late Night Stables
Trainer: Jimmy Jerkens
Breeder: DJ Stable
Six of the eight races on this Aqueduct card were won in wire-to-wire fashion, three of them in blowouts, and one supposes you have to take the nature of the surface into account when assessing this performance. Filly was a 6-5 second choice and raced inside the 4-5 favorite while in hand down the backstretch and around the turn. Responded when the rider called on her approaching the quarter pole, opening up on her pace rival with every stride, even when her jockey stopped asking her for much of anything. This was just her second start, following a solid maiden sprint debut, and she traveled here like a strong galloping type who will be suited by two turns. Not as good as special, probably, as the massive margin of victory alone would suggest, but also probably not merely a horse who rode a strong bias to an outlier performance.