Confirm Tonalist as among the likely Breeders’ Cup Classic participants who can go north of a 110 Beyer Speed Figure after his third 110-plus number of 2015 – a 111 for his Jockey Club Gold Cup victory last Saturday. With Liam’s Map now headed for the Dirt Mile, I still count three others with the potential for a figure above 110 – Beholder, Honor Code, and American Pharoah. I know the Triple Crown winner has not gotten there yet, but the Haskell Invitational strongly suggested that he can. And to win the Classic, he will absolutely have to. I was very impressed with Greenpointcrusader’s 94 Beyer in the Champagne last Saturday. I don’t think it was the slop or the distance. I just think that this is an improving horse who is going to be very difficult to beat with that kind of figure in the Juvenile. My hope is that Nyquist’s reputation will affect the betting. I certainly respect what the best in the West has accomplished, but his declining Beyers fairly scream toss-out. Sentiero Italia jumps off the Beyer page in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday. She has positional speed, almost ensuring a good trip. More importantly, she has accomplished the rare feat of posting six consecutive increasing Beyers, starting with a 64 in March, followed by figures of 84, 86, 92, 95, and a 98 in her comfortable win in the Sands Point. Her only loss in a route race came from a bad post against a great filly in Lady Eli. This is the kind of horse you can frame a day around, no matter the type of bet. Prize Exhibit, Miss Temple City, Blond Me, and Feathered all look similar – consistent, fast, and tough. They also have one other thing in common: None is as fast as Sentiero Italia. The situation in the Knickerbocker at Belmont Park on Saturday is the opposite of the Queen Elizabeth II. There are five horses – Middleburg, Hothersal, Mr Speaker, All Included, and Cage Fighter – who have hardly run a poor race all year and have Beyers between 90 and 99. Of that group, I like Middleburg the best because of his inside post and the great recent figure series of 97, 99, 98, and 96. That is the consistent group but isn’t necessarily the only place to look. War Dancer has been running in much stronger races and had a Beyer series of 104, 99, and 102 from May to August. Put a line through his last race, where he was in very tough. If he gets back to one of those triple-digit Beyers, he is the horse to beat. Legendary has not won all year but is another horse with triple-digit Beyers in his past who has been running in much stronger races than this. Everybody should study the past performances of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic at Charles Town on Saturday. You might not see anything like it again. Maryland has Ben’s Cat with his 30 wins. West Virginia has Russell Road with his 30 and Lucy’s Bob Boy with his 25. The two horses have won 55 of 97 lifetime, which really looks like a misprint. Unlike Ben’s Cat, they don’t travel much, but at Chucktown, they are the heat. The Big Two are far removed from their best Beyers of 96 (Russell Road) and 102 (Lucy’s Bob Boy), but Russell Road especially points for this race every year. He won it in 2009, 2011, and 2014. He will try to win it a fourth time as a 9-year-old after a summer Beyer series of 85, 81, and 85. It took only an 82 to win the Classic last year, but I doubt that will do this year. Lucy’s Bob Boy, who won the 2012 Classic, lost what was essentially a match race with Russell Road last year, but that 95 he got two back suggests that he can still bring a big one. Hidden Canyon looks like the next generation of Russell Road and Lucy’s Bob Boy, with 9 wins and 3 seconds in 13 starts. He looks like the lone speed of the Classic and certainly is dangerous with Beyers of 91 and 90 this year. The question is the 1 1/8-mile distance. The old vets are proven at three turns at Charles Town. Hidden Canyon goes beyond seven furlongs for the first time.