Five Fastest Maidens

The 2-year-olds are just getting started, but this week's highlight is the fastest juvenile we've seen so far this year.   5) LEGAL HEIR, SA, 6/14-7th, 6 furlongs (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 83 (c, 3, by Nyquist-How My Heart Works, by Not For Love) O-Charles Henderson. B-Bowman & Higgins Stable (Md). T-Vann Belvoir. J-Kazushi Kimura. Henderson bought Legal Heir in December for $120,000 in a digital sale after the $550,000 2-year-old purchase had missed his entire juvenile campaign then failed to win in four starts at 3. But he...

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...

Last week's maiden races produced yet another budding Juddmonte star plus a potential Royal Ascot candidate. 5--MOVIE NIGHT, CD 2, 5-16, 6f Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (video) (f, 3, Speightstown--Savvy Star, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-WinStar Farm (Ky); T-Will Walden; J-Luan Machado. As she charged to the quarter pole with an eye-catching rally, her second start looked eerily similar to her runner-up debut at Keeneland--sloppy track and all. But she caught a much softer field last week and stormed away by eight lengths at 3-5 odds with a Beyer one point...

Topping this week's list: a homebred maiden who splashed to the fastest Beyer Speed Figure of the three-day Evangeline Downs week. 5. WHITE SMOKE RISING, BAQ, 5/7-5th, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 83 (c, 3, by Volatile--Little Cyclone, by City Zip) O-Albert Fried, Jr. B-Three Chimneys Farm (Ky). T-Charlton Baker. J-John Velazquez. He was probably unlucky to lose to 2-5 favorite Crossingthechannel in his first lifetime start back in early January, and that colt looks to have stakes-level talent. This time, White Smoke Rising looped rivals to pair...

It was a week of unlikely maiden performances: a staggering 106 debut Beyer and two fast runners from a rare 1 1/4-mile maiden race.   5) LATE NIGHT TEXT, 4/23-3rd, 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 83 (f, 3, by Into Mischief-Arrifana, by Curlin) O-Daugherty Racing and 24th Road Racing. B-LNJ Foxwoods & Gainesway Thoroughbreds (Ky). T-Saffie Joseph Jr. J-Micah Husbands. Running for Joseph for the first time, Late Night Text improved his previous top Beyer Speed Figure by 11 points in his sixth career start to defeat a pair...

No three-figure maidens this week, but the meeting at Colonial Downs featured prominently in this week's top 5. 5. LOVE'M OR LIAM, GP, 3/13-5th, 1 1/16 miles (Tapeta) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-81 (c, 4, by Liam's Map--Fly Me to Dubai, by Into Mischief) O-Cheyenne Stable. B-Catherine Hudson, Kildare Stud and Aaron Mulholland (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Junior Alvarado. He finally broke his maiden in his seventh start and first on Tapeta (off the turf), but in his defense he hasn't seen easy spots against Grande (later second in Wood Memorial), Life...

A Baffert longshot in a Santa Anita maiden race (that isn't a misprint) tops this week's list. 5). MAYKOMOTION, TAM, 3/7, 7 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (c, 3, by Vekoma--Maymont, by Unbridled's Song) O-Bona Venture Stables and Bianco Stable. B-Dominique Damico (Fla). T-George Weaver. J-John Velazquez. He couldn't match strides with the likes of Jackson Hole in his first start in December, but outran these from the start and was drawing away through the final quarter. His five half-siblings to race have been predominantly cheap claimers, but this...

This week, five 3-year-old colts made the rankings, topped by a new Derby contender that few saw coming. 5-ALBUS, TAM, 2/27, 1 mile 40 yards (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-83 (c, 3, by Yaupon--Adream, by Bernardini) O-Pin Oak Stud. B- Susan Casner (Ky). T-Riley Mott. J-Sammy Camacho. As the debate ensued last week about Solitude Dude's chances around two turns in Saturday's Fountain of Youth (he did fine), another Yaupon colt made his two-turn debut Friday at Tampa--and Albus kicked clear to a decisive 6 3/4 length victory. Based on his...

5 - CAPTAIN SHREVE, SA, 1/31-6th, 6 furlongs  (Video) Beyer Speed Figure-78 (2nd) (g, 3, by Runhappy--Sierra Electrica, by Tapit) O/B-Kretz Racing (Ky). T-George Papaprodromou. J-Kyle Frey. If one considers Potente (below) a 3-year-old to monitor going forward, Captain Shreve has to be somewhere on the same screen. He nagged Potente from the start, drew alongside turning for home, then couldn't quite keep pace late in another legit runner-up finish (he was a debut 2nd to Secured Freedom). Rustin and Juliana Kretz are Southern Californians, but named the gelding after...

5. CINISTER CIX, TP, 1/16-6th, 6 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure-83 (2nd) (c, 4, by Curlin--Auntjenn, by Uncle Mo) O-Bartolome Mafla Herrera. B-Breffni Farm. T-Shane Sands. J-Walter Rodriguez. Privately purchased from the breeder after a half-dozen mostly uninspiring starts, the Curlin filly ran a career-best Beyer and appears to be just coming around. The pedigree is solid: dam Auntjenn was twice stakes-placed, five times ran Beyers between 81 and 83 for Brad Cox, and out of four foals to race has also produced GSW Petulante ($254k) and SW The Donegal Clan...

5. DYNAMITE TONIGHT, DED, 11/7, 5 furlongs (VIDEO). Beyer Speed Figure-82 (g, 2, by Independence Hall--Shop for Gold, by Speightstown) O-Roger Smith and Keiber Rengifo. B-DocAtty Stables (La). T-Sam Breaux. J-Elio Barrera. $127,000 OBSOPN; Consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds. Having brought $127,000 in June at OBS--a decent price for a Louisiana-bred--he debuted by demolishing state-bred maidens by 8 3/4 lengths in solid time. His pedigree traces to Jack Dreyfus' old Hobeau Farm breeding operation, and New Iberia-based veteran Breaux, 71, has won 2,063 races and more than five dozen stakes....

6. SOLITUDE DUDE, GP, 11/1, 6 1/2 furlongs. (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 86 (c, 2, by Yaupon--After the Party, by Into Mischief) O-Chris Fountoukis. B-Martha Buckner and Matthew Ernst (Ky). T-Saffie Joseph, Jr.. J-Micah Husbands. Debuting as third betting choice (another Saffie Joseph first-timer was favored), he drubbed the competition by 9 1/2 lengths after setting the fractions. Joseph signed the $300k ticket in June at OBS for the son of first-crop sire Yaupon. The jury is still out on Yaupon's stamina genes, and Solitude Dude's dam was also a...