Breakout Beyers: Vequist zooms to Grade 1 level

Marcus Hersh|Sep 10, 2020

Vequist wins the 2020 Spinaway at Saratoga Race Course

Adam Coglianese/NYRA Vequist wins the Spinaway by 9 1/2 lengths on Sunday at Saratoga.

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

VEQUIST

Sept. 6, 9th race, Saratoga, Spinaway G1
Beyer: 83
7f 1:22.29, 1st by 9 1/2 lengths
b. f. 2, Nyquist–Vero Amore, by Mineshaft
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Sept. yearling 2019 - $120,000 RNA
Owner: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stables, Swilcan Stb.
Trainer: Butch Reid
Breeder: Swilcan Stable

When you graduate from the maiden ranks in a Grade 1, you shoot to the top of the Breakout Beyer list. Vequist didn’t just win the Spinaway, she romped, pressing the pace, taking over in upper stretch, and running by herself to the finish. Vequist became the sixth winner for first-crop sire Nyquist and his second stakes winner, joining Gretzky the Great, who won the Soaring Free turf sprinting at Woodbine. This was a dominant win without a Beyer to match, and the field was subpar for a Grade 1. Still, Vequist looked good, moving forward from a narrow loss debuting in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race at Parx. She ran well enough there that Wachtel and Barber bought into her from the breeders, and now they have themselves a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

NASHVILLE

Sept. 2, 3rd race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 91
6 1/2f 1:14.48, 1st by 11 1/2 lengths
b. c. 3, Speighstown–Veronique, by Mizzen Mast
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Sept. yearling 2018 - $450,000
Owner: China Horse Club and WinStar Farm
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Breffni Farm

Take this race with a grain of salt, since first-time starter Nashville had but three foes and made the lead on a sloppy track, conditions that are ripe for performance inflation. That being said, and even taking into account the speed of the track (hint: it was fast), how about these fractions: 21.50, 43.87, 1:07.92. The horse was flying, and as he got a little green in upper stretch, Irad Ortiz gave him one smack of the crop and Nashville took off again. He was on cruise control across the wire and clearly wanted to do more on the gallop-out. What does it all mean? Hard to say. This colt, judging by his active work pattern, appears to have been right up to making his career debut during late summer 2019 as a 2-year-old before something went amiss. His third dam is Set Them Free, producer of Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo and G1 winner Tiago. Horses starting their career this late, and who are this fast, are obvious candidates to struggle with long-term development, but it will be very interesting to see if the colt can build on this flashy showing.

LADY ROCKET

Aug. 28, 6th race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 84
6 1/2f 1:15.38, 1st by a neck
b. f. 2, Tale of the Cat–Allons Danser, by Eskendereya
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Nov. breeding 2017 - $27,000; OBS yearling 2018 - $60,000; OBS Spring 2yo 2019 - $420,000
Owner: Frank Fletcher Racing Operations and Ten Strike Racing
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: La Ciega and Tale of the Cat Syndicate

That’s a home run in the pinhooking game, going from a $60K yearling to a $420K 2-year-old sale. This was clearly a horse who was much more attractive as a breeze-up candidate than on pedigree, and from the look of her now, she hardly is an imposing physical specimen. But she is an 84 Beyer debut winner and earned that with a fairly demanding trip. She broke a touch flat-footed from the rail and thus had to flow into a mid-pack stalking trip while racing inside. Her rider cleaved to the rail until the eighth pole, his mount taking him into contention between the five-sixteenths pole and midstretch, and really it was horse more than rider who began angling outside to find room when blocked by two horses. Some pretty serious steering was required, but the filly kept her momentum and quickened on encouragingly to hit the front just before the wire. She’s fast, seemingly professional and game; time will tell if she wants to run farther than a one-turn mile.

OLYMPIAD

Sept. 5, 5th race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 82
7f 1:22.78, 1st by 2 3/4 lengths
b. c. 2, Speightstown–Tokyo Time, by Medaglia d’Oro
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September 2019 - $700,000
Owner: Grandview Stables, Cheyenne Stables, LNJ Foxwoods
Trainer: Bill Mott
Breeder: Emory Hamilton

Runs in front wraps, for whatever that’s worth, but it’s hardly standard from the Mott barn. He ran first out like a horse who needed a final wake-up call (and also ran into standout winner Reinvestment Risk while finishing a decent third) and showed off improved positional speed and general wherewithal in this victory. In the bridle from the start, he moved up nicely around the turn and took control of the race at the furlong grounds. Wraps or not, he goes pretty nicely. There’s plenty of black type in the female family with a move to turf surely something that could be an option if dirt doesn’t pan out. Speightstown crossed with stamina on the dam’s side should a least get him through a middle distance. Has a ways to go to get near the early top of this class.

QUEENGOL

Sept. 5, 1st race, Del Mar, MdSpWt56k
Beyer: 82
5.5f 1:04.69, 1st by 3/4 length
Gr. f. 2, Flashback–Nechez Dawn, by Indian Charlie
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland Nov. breeding 2018 - $30,000; OBS March 2yo 2019 - $90,000
Owner: Saragol Stable Corp and Johana Viana
Trainer: John Sadler
Breeder: John Penn

The highest 2-year-old Beyer during Labor Day weekend at Del Mar wasn’t from Dr. Schivel in the Futurity (74) nor from Princess Noor in the Debutante (79), it was from this filly, who has a very humble pedigree and whose first trip through the sales ring resulted in a mere $30,000 purchase. She broke alertly, tracked the favored pacesetter Kalypso all the way around, and with a determined burst at about the eighth pole put her head in front, pushing past for a nice win. She kind of moves like a sprint type and does not have anything like an obvious route pedigree, but this filly looks like an overachiever, so who knows?

UPSTRIKER

Aug. 30, 6th race, Ellis Park, MdSpWt45k
Beyer: 81
6 1/2f 1:16.52, 1st by 5
b. c. 2, Upstart–Casanova Striker, by Smart Strike
Noteworthy siblings: Midnight Soiree (Include) – stakes winner; Ciguaraya (Latent Heat) – stakes winner; Silver Time (In Excess) – stakes winner
Auctions: Keeneland September 2019 - $47,000 RNA
Owner: William Sparks and Brereton Jones
Trainer: Ron Moquett
Breeder: Brereton Jones

The dam is a 22-year-old now and has produced a lot of runners. The sire is a first-cropper and also has gotten the G1-placed talent Reinvestment Risk. The barn doesn’t hit with a lot of first-timers but this colt did everything right – broke sharp, had speed to stalk the pace from second, moved up when encouraged by rider to attack the leader, switched leads promptly, stayed straight when cropped a couple times left-handed, and ran hard through the wire. Not the prettiest mover. Loads of dirt stamina back in the female family.

PRICE TALK

Sept. 6, 4th race, Saratoga, MdSpWt72k
Beyer: 86
1 1/16M, turf, 1:43.30, 1st by 6
B. c. 3, Kitten’s Joy–Mayakoba, by War Chant
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: OBS yearling 2018 - $70,000
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Jorge Abreu
Breeder: Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey

Disqualified from victory in his career debut, where he did commit a foul but was the best horse and left no doubt here in his second start. Crushed the field, but even an 86 Beyer this late in the 3-year-old season falls much closer to “solid” than “spectacular.” Worked a bunch at age 2 without making the races, then had another little hiccup early this spring. Breakout win, sure, but likely not a breakout star.