Breakout Beyers: Will there be a new Smarty Party?

Each week in this space, the top Beyer performances by maiden winners will be featured and analyzed.

Afternoon Heat

Jan. 5, 2nd race, Santa Anita, MdSpWt55k

Beyer: 82
6 1/2f, 1:16.79
ch. c. 4, Unusual Heat-Meredith Bee, by El Corredor
Owner: Robert J. Vanderdussen
Trainer: Steve Knapp
Breeder: Liberty Road Stables (Cal.)

Looking worth the $50,000 connections plopped down at claim box this past August, but beat just five in an average-seeming Cal-bred maiden. Took six starts to clear maiden ranks. He’s a Cal-bred N1X allowance contender next time, but probably not a lot more than that right now.

Dreams Untold

Jan. 2, 5th race, Parx, MdSpWt45k

Beyer: 88
6 1/2f, 1:17.16
ch. g. 3, Smarty Jones-Shootforthestars, by Seattle Slew
Owner: Someday Farm
Trainer: John Servis
Breeder: Patricia Chapman (Pa.)

What have we here? Someday Farm-owned, John Servis-trained, Pa.-bred Parx Racing maiden winner: That’s what 2004 Derby-Preakness winner Smarty Jones was! Smarty Jones won first out in November with an 84 Beyer. This gelding, who is by Smarty Jones, won second time out with an 88 Beyer while racing with Lasix added. Full brother to Nasa, who showed talent winter 2014-2015 before plateauing as an allowance horse.

High Amplitude

Dec. 30, 3rd race, Aqueduct, MdSpWt68k

Beyer: 89
1m, 1:38.94
b. g. 3, Bernardini-Lady On Holiday, by Harlan’s Holiday
Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc.
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Nordic Thoroughbreds and Godolphin (Ky.)
Four-year-old gelding back from a long layoff got a clear lead on a sloppy track and just aired versus a group of older maidens. Debuted last winter in the infamous Hidden Scroll maiden at Gulfstream and despite the favorable circumstances here does appear to have real talent for trainer Chad Brown. Galloped out solidly in this one-turn mile and should go farther.

Hip Hip Jorge

Jan. 5, 6th race, Aqueduct, MdSpWt68k

Beyer: 83
6f, 1:11.60
gr./ro. g. 4, Tapit-Andujar, by Quiet American
Owner: My Meadowview Farm, LLC
Trainer: Mark Casse
Breeder: My Meadowview LLC

Tenth time was charm for Mark Casse-trained Tapit gelding. After nine losses he found a field with merely four rivals, got over a sloppy AQU track well, and was much the best under a five-pound big rider Declan Carroll. Seemingly limited upside but this was just his second start in blinkers and he could knock out a winter allowance win in New York.

Horse Doctor

Jan. 2, 5th race, Fair Grounds, MdSpWt45k

Beyer: 81
6f, 1:12.44
dk.b. c. 4, Bodemeister-Exclusive Diva, by Bernardini
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Jack Sisterson
Breeder: Calumet Farm

Continuing a theme of the week, another sloppy-track runaway winner. Always hard to judge this kind of victory, but since he had a clean outside-pressing trip in a short field, a dose of skepticism is advised. Powerful, heavily built 3-year-old colt for Calumet out of a mare who probably best suited one mile or thereabouts.

Korczak

Jan. 3, 6th race, Gulfstream, Md12500

Beyer: 80
1m, 1:38.03
ch. g. 4, Shackleford-Doubleshot of Gold, by Touch Gold
Owner: Imaginary Stables
Trainer: Jorge Navarro
Breeder: Sally Thomas and John C. Harroff

Claim for $20K, drop to $12.5K, and a one-turn mile Gulfstream maiden romp for trainer Jorge Navarro, who got a 14-point Beyer jump in this 4-year-old gelding’s fifth career start. Not much to see here.

Portos

Dec. 31, 3rd, Aqueduct, MdSpWt68k

Beyer: 84
1 1/8m, 1:54.58
gr./ro. g. 2, Tapit-Fierce Boots, by Tiznow
Owner: Wertheimer et Frere
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: Wertheimer et Frere

Was 1-5 in this nine-furlong maiden contested on the last day of these horses’ 2-year-old season. First foal to race out of Fierce Boots, who won the Busanda for trainer Pletcher and, like this colt, was definitely a route horse. He’s a grinding type who appears to need every bit of this 1 1/8-mile trip. Has made some decent progress so far and if that continues he could be a Belmont Stakes sort of horse.

Tizamagician

Jan. 1, 9th, Santa Anita, MdSpWt55k

Beyer: 85
1m, 1:37.91
dk. b. c. 3, Tiznow-Magic Union, by Dixie Union
Owner: Spendthrift Farm or Myracehorse.com
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Breeder: Woodford Thoroughbreds

Finally broke through after three second-place finishes in the SoCal maiden ranks. Got some positive vibes because he’d been second Nov. 3 to Taishan – and then Taishan laid an egg in the Sham Stakes. Got a perfect pressing trip here and was much the best. Eager but not too headstrong, though he has a high knee action and a generally unappealing way of going. Appears to be getting the mental hang of things, at least.