Five Fastest Maidens: May 18-25

This week's rankings are topped by another filly coming out of 'TDN Rising Star' Mashallah's (Maxfield) scintillating debut victory at Keeneland.

5. NATIONAL CHARTER, CD, 5/23-6th, 1 mile (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-86
(c, 3, by Constitution–Totally Tucker, by Elusive Quality)
O-BBN Racing. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Rusty Arnold. J-Luis Saez.
Especially in hindsight, it was a positive that National Charter was a 5/2 favorite at Keeneland in his debut. The $200,000 yearling was only so-so in defeat that day, but apparently needed a race to get his bearings–he ran 10 lengths faster Saturday to decisively graduate while still a bit green with lead changes. He's a half-brother to GSW turf sprinter Totally Boss, and his allowance-winning dam (top Beyer 76) is a half-sister to Gr. I winners Majestic Harbor and Danza.

4. EL CAPO, WO, 5/24-10th, 7 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-86
(c, 3, by Authentic–Revitalized, by Uncle Mo)
O-CamHaven Farms. B-Dixiana Farms (Ky). T-Preston Ferris. J-Pablo Moran.
The big stakes-placed El Capo sprinted to a clear lead for the first time in seven lifetime starts, appeared to dwarf rivals in size and then left them in his wake. He won decisively, but not “easily” as the official chart states since Moran kept busy on him through the stretch. His unraced dam is a full-sister to Thrilled, a Michael Tabor-owned filly who was GSP on dirt and grass a decade ago but has done nothing as a producer.

Decisive Win | Benoit

3. FAIRY GODMOTHER, AQU, 5/23-4th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-88
(f, 3, by Cairo Prince–Lyrical Tale, by Tale of the Cat)
O/B-Merrylegs Farm/Merrylegs Farm North (NY). T-Ray Handal. J-Dylan Davis.
This massive improvement was tough to predict; otherwise she would have been claimed for $50,000 rather than the well-beaten runnerup. Her dam was better on grass (albeit with a career-best 65 Beyer), as her half-sister Thundering Sky, but still….a 6 1/2-length score and new 39-point Beyer top is another example that none of us are as smart as we think we are.

2. DECISIVE WIN, SA, 5/22-4th, 1 mile (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-90
(c, 3, by Nyquist–Weekend Away, by Malibu Moon)
O-Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis. B-RTA Family Trust and George E. Saufley (Ky). T-Doug O'Neill. J-Antonio Fresu.
If a fourth-place debut effort should ever be taken with a heaping grain of salt, this was it. Decisive Win was beaten seven lengths at Santa Anita March 7, but the 1-2 finishers were future Pat Day Mile (Gr. II) winner Crude Velocity, unbeaten in three starts and perhaps Bob Baffert's best 3-year-old; and Civil Liberty, the stablemate of Decisive Win who was already Gr. I placed then broke his maiden at Keeneland with a 98 Beyer. No wonder Decisive Win was 1-to-2 on the board and cruised by 5 1/2 lengths. His name is absent from the colt's past performances, but Will Farish's impact on the $600,000 2-year-old purchase is huge: unraced dam Weekend Away is a half-sister to Private Mission as well as the dam of Dunbar Road, and second dam Private Gift is a half-sister to Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Status.

1. IN SCOPE, CD, 5/22-7th, 1 mile (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-90
(f, 3, by Gun Runner–Brielle's Appeal, by English Channel)
O-G. Watts Humphrey Jr. B-Dixiana Farms (Ky). T-Rusty Arnold. J-Axel Concepcion.
Keen students of the sport were watching her performance Friday for another referendum on Mashallah, who beat her by 6 3/4 lengths at Keeneland en route to a stratospheric 106 debut Beyer. And the well-bred In Scope's 3 1/2-length triumph and paired-up but conservative 90 Beyer is more evidence that Mashallah's figure was legit. Furthermore, two days later Immortalize returned from a fourth in the same April 23 race (five lengths behind In Scope) to beat open maidens, also at Churchill Downs.