RACE 4: SHUTTERS (#7) 

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

Speed Boat Beach

PRIDE OF THE NILE

Trainer: Doug O’Neill

Last race: Sept. 10, race 7

Finish:4^th by 3 1/2

Beyer: 69

Making her career debut in two-turn turf stakes race, this 2-year-old filly ran super. Settled early, rallied far turn, floated six wide, finished well. Should be tough against maidens.

Wrapping up summer with a few miscellaneous notes . . .

Stiff competition for Cave Rock

Is Cave Rock a lock in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes next month at Santa Anita? Based on his stakes-record 1:20.99 in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 11, perhaps he is. But two stablemates ran faster last week than Cave Rock (98 Beyer).

Paul Lally:

R1 5-1-6-8
R2 7-8-6-4
R3 1-6-9-7
R4 10-5-7-3
R5 4-2-6-3
R6 2-8-3-10
R7 6-8-4-1
R8 6-2-1-3

Best Bet R5 N4 Hardly Swears
Longshot R8 N6 Magic Phoenix
Play R2 QQP 6-7-8

Tom Wood:

R1: 6-5-8-9
R2: 4-8-6-7
R3: 9-7-6-1
R4: 3-5-7-11
R5: 4-3-1-5
R6: 3-2-8-10
R7: 6-8-1-9
R8: 1-2-3-5

BEST: R8 N1 NICCONI COUNTY (WIN)
VALUE: R6 N3 SPARKY STAR (EW)
PLAY: R6 QQP 2,3,8

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There can be no encore this weekend. Not this weekend, not next weekend, not until the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Flightline brought down the house in the Pacific Classic while raising the bar for excellence on the track to a level we haven’t seen in . . . who knows know long. Decades?

Instant Coffee
Sept. 3, 8th race Saratoga, MdSpWt105k
Beyer: 85
7 furlongs 1:22.77 – 1st by 3/4 length
b. c. 2, Bolt d’Oro – Follow No One, by Uncle Mo
Auctions: Keeneland September yearling 2021 - $200,000
Owner: Gold Square
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Sagamore Farm

DARK MARCUS

Trainer: Peter Miller

Last race: Sept. 1, race 1

Finish: 2^nd by 3/4

Beyer: 67

Tough trip for maiden-claiming route gelding. Trailed, blocked on far turn, made a wide rally, narrowed gap. Claimed for $40K by Miller from Brian Koriner. Can beat similar.

WEEGEE

Trainer: Jeff Mullins

Last race: Sept. 1, race 5

DEL MAR, Calif. – Flightline leads the final Del Mar notebook as summer eases toward closing day on Sunday. Time to jump in.

Enjoy it while you can

You never know if or when the next star will emerge, and the Pacific Classic romp by Flightline elicited fitting observations. Del Mar announcer Trevor Denman’s call of the Grade 1 as Flightline opened up in the lane: “Take a good look at this, because you’re not gonna see this too often, maybe never again.”