Breakout Beyers: Empirestrikesfast shows fight in debut win

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

Empirestrikesfast

March 11, 5^th race Gulfstream, MdSpWt70k
Beyer: 92
1 1/16 miles 1:44.02 – 1^st by ¾ length
b. g. 3, Empire Maker – Clever Beauty, by Indian Charlie
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling 2021 - $160,000
Owner: Pin Oak Stable
Trainer: Bill Mott
Breeder: Green Lantern Stable

Here’s an odd one. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt Dreamlike debuted with a fine performance, earning an 87 Beyer while finishing second by 1 ½ lengths to the Bill Mott-trained Arthur’s Ride. Here, stretching to two turns, Dreamlike was a 1-5 favorite and got turned back by another Mott horse, Empirestrikesfast. Usually it is some other trainer losing maiden races with the same horse to different runners from the Pletcher barn; this was turnabout. Empirestrikesfast was posting official workouts as far back as June; wonder if he was not cut out to be a racehorse at that point, because at some point the colt was gelded. Here, making his debut, he broke alertly and pressed a moderate pace from second, ridden along to hold position at the half-mile pole before drawing alongside the pacesetter, who wilted. Dreamlike was tracking both horses from third, attacked Empirestrikesfast at the five-sixteenths, and might have gotten a half-length lead. But past the quarter pole, Empirestrikesfast came right back with a swift counter, the two hitting the stretch together. Dreamlike pushed, Empirestrikesfast resisted, and it was the 23-1 shot doing the better work the final half-furlong. Professional first race, big Beyer, promising fellow.

I Don’t Get It

March 11, 6^th race Santa Anita, MdSpWt68K
Beyer: 87
1 1/16 miles 1:43.76 – 1^st by ¾ length
b.c.3, Cloud Computing – Flat Out Gittin It, by Flat Out
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling 2021 - $42,000
Owner: Reddam Racing
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Breeder: Pillar Property Services

Not a bad number, but pretty much a borderline breakout Beyer considering this was I Don’t Get It’s fourth start and that he doesn’t appear to be the cream of the California crop. He came out of maiden races won Skinner and Hejazi, two of the best California 3-year-olds. And the horse he ran down, Yellow Brick, exited maiden races won by by Faustin, Harlocap, and Skinner. Fact of the matter is, all those horses probably are just better than I Don’t Get It – for now, at least. But also consider in evaluating this performance that I Don’t Get It was purchased for a mere $42,000 at auction – value. He did pull a favorable clean stalking trip here under Mario Gutierrez. I Don’t Get It rallied wide while Yellow Brick got through along the rail; ergo, a bump up for ground-losing I Don’t Get It. He travels forcefully, fairly low to the ground, and was a determined third-out maiden winner. O'Neill is considering I Don't Get It for one of the last major Kentucky Derby preps.

Blue Light

March 11, 9^th race Fair Grounds, MdSpWt50k
Beyer: 80
6 furlongs 1:10.50 – 1^st by 2 ¾ lengths
b.c.3, City Light – In the Moonlight, by Tapit
Noteworthy siblings: None
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 -- $350,000
Owner: L & N Racing and Winchell Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Breeder: Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds

The 80 Beyers is on the light side for inclusion in this space – but hear me out. Granted, he was getting weight, but 3-year-old Blue Light did defeat older horses, including the solid runner-up Tim Tal, while making his career. The clockers and / or the barn must have liked him in the morning because he took heavy betting from the start and went off at even-money. And while Blue Light showed plenty of speed and disputed the pace, he finished full of run with a final furlong in a field-best 12.28 and was very much going away to and past the wire. Corey Lanerie, riding the winner, gave his mount plenty of confidence sitting cool and collected into the homestretch with Tim Tal lapped on him. Lanerie threw a couple crosses at the furlong grounds and went to one right-handed crop, but otherwise, Blue Light did this without a whole lot of encouragement. He’s the first foal to race from a winless dam who’s a sister to graded-stakes winners Wilburn and Beethoven.