Breakout Beyers: Ultimate Gamble looking like he’ll pay off handsomely

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

Ultimate Gamble

April 1, 4th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt67k
Beyer: 89
1 mile 1:36.68 – 1st by 2 1/2 lengths
b. c. 3, Medaglia d’Oro – Eltimaas, by Ghostzapper
Noteworthy siblings: Drefong (Gio Ponti, foaled 2013) – multiple Grade 1 winner, $1.53 million earnings, stallion in Japan
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $325,000; OBS spring 2yo 2022 – $1.75 million
Owner: Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal
Trainer: Mark Glatt
Breeder: Machmer Hall, Craig Brogden, and Carrie Brogden

He got a favorable trip from third, stalking two leaders in a short field, and his Beyer didn’t quite cross the 90 threshold, but Ultimate Gamble looked like he could be a real racehorse. He debuted sprinting last August at Del Mar and had the misfortune of running into Cave Rock, the fastest juvenile in the nation at that time. Ultimate Gamble finished a distant fourth and didn’t start again until this race, but seeing the colt on video, he looks nothing like a sprinter. His body and his pedigree are shouting for two turns, and trainer Mark Glatt sent him straight into a route race following the extended break. Under Frankie Dettori, Ultimate Gamble was ridden along to pass the two leaders, making the front at the three-sixteenths pole. Dettori continued urging him along when eventual runner-up Palagio, a 4-year-old, threatened to make a race of it in upper stretch. No contest in the end, Ultimate Gamble drew clear late with a solid, straight run to the wire followed by a powerhouse gallop-out. Cost a fortune and may prove worth it.

Randomized

March 31, 1st race Aqueduct, MdSpWt80k
Beyer: 92
1 mile 1:38.48 – 1st by 5 1/2 lengths
b. f. 3, Nyquist – French Passport, by Elusive Quality
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $420,000
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Cove Springs

Not a ton of pedigree here (third dam Twin Propeller had a couple good ones) and she must have been a fine-looking filly to fetch $420,000 as a yearling. Brown debuted her July 24 in a six-furlong maiden race at Saratoga. That was the period last summer when the Saratoga surface was extremely deep and laboring, and Randomized might not have cared for it, fading off the pace to finish a soundly defeated third. This was much better, quite impressive, in fact, with the usual caveats about front-running maiden winners in short fields. Asked for a bit of gate speed by Manny Franco, Randomized made the lead over favored Gifted. Those two pulled away from the other four in the race around the turn. At the five-sixteenths pole, Gifted came under pressure while Randomized went along much more easily in a nice, steady rhythm. Asked for more in upper stretch, she quickly put distance on Gifted and would have won by a wider margin than this had Franco not geared down his mount with a furlong still to race. Even coasting to the wire, she galloped out encouragingly. I really liked the way this filly travels, and with more than 13 lengths back to the third horse and big gaps back to the other runners, this race had the shape of a truly fast heat.

Federal Judge

April 1, 4th race Oaklawn, MdSpWt110k
Beyer: 97
6 furlongs 1:09.87 – 1st by 4 1/4 lengths
b. c. 3, Army Mule – Congarette, by Congaree
Auctions: OBS winter mixed 2021 – $40,000; Fasig-Tipton summer yearling 2021 – $200,000
Owner: WinStar Farm and Siena Farm
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Breeder: Caperlane Farm

Second named foal and first to race from a sprinting dam, he was an unusual but successful pinhook, going for five times more than the original purchase price between winter and summer as a yearling of 2021. He posted official works at the WinStar training track in May, June, and July, but then had a long gap until January, and since he was 7-1 here in his debut, one wonders how much flash he was showing in the morning. Federal Judge had plenty of gate speed and made the lead but was hounded by Speakinofthedevil, who turned the pressure up around the turn and got a neck or so in front of Federal Judge, who was pinned to the fence. Traveling with his ears pinned, Federal Judge never wavered, regaining the lead in upper stretch, drawing steadily clear to the wire, and galloping out well. The young sire seems like he’ll be better getting sprinter-milers and the dam only raced in sprints, but this colt has a lot of leg to him and at least offered the suggestion he can go a little farther. And earning one of the higher maiden Beyers of the last year will get you some extra attention.

Get Your Kicks

April 1, 6th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 81
1 mile turf 1:36.23 – 1st by 5 1/2 lengths
b. c. 3, Quality Road – Cali Thirty Seven, by Eskendereya
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 – $100,000; OBS spring 2yo 2022 – $300,000
Owner: Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Jim Cone, Belmar Racing and Breeding
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: WinStar Farm

On the bare face of things, an 81 Beyer wouldn’t get an April 3-year-old onto this list, but this colt beat 11 maidens in a turf mile, and beat them badly after showing good tactical speed and an encouraging turn of foot. Fourth debuting on dirt late this winter, Get Your Kicks moved like a different horse on grass, and when asked for his best past the three-sixteenths pole, he gave more than enough. His head carriage was slightly high, but that’s a mere quibble as Get Your Kicks crushed this bulky field while looking like he had more to give.