Fastest Maidens, Presented By Taylor Made, For Aug. 11-18

Wandering Eyes · August 19

5. READY FOR CANDY, SAR, 8/17, 1 1/8 miles (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-86
(f, 3, by Twirling Candy–Enoree, by More Than Ready)
O-Lindy Farms. B-Mark Dodson (Ont-C). T-Philip Antonacci. J-Irad Ortiz Jr.
The Antonacci family is legendary in harness racing, but has had success with thoroughbreds, too, and February $400k Fasig Tipton buy Ready for Candy made a splash at Saratoga in her 3-year-old debut. Now trained by young Phil Antonacci, she controlled the pace to the stretch then zipped away by 7 ¾ lengths. For her previous connections, she competed in five straight Woodbine stakes as a 2-year-old maiden, with two 2nds and a 3rd.

4. EXPLORA, DMR, 8/17, 5 1/2 furlongs, 'TDN Rising Star' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 88
(f, 2, by Blame–Collections Choice, by Bernardini)
O-Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. B-Mesingw Farm (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. J-Juan Hernandez.
This will surprise no one but still bears mentioning: Baffert has started 2-year-olds in 12 maiden races thus far in 2025 with eight wins, including four 1-2 finishes. A week earlier, 1/5 Sorrento Stakes winner Himika looked like a legit early favorite for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but Explora also ran fast and couldn't have taken her debut more easily for the “Three Amigos” ownership group.

3. BELGIAN, SAR, 8/14, 5 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 90
(c, 2, by Beau Liam–Watch Smartly, by Smart Strike)
O-Newtown Anner Stud Farm. B-Springhouse Farm (Ky). T-George Weaver. J-Javier Castellano.
Belgian is from the first crop of former Stonestreet runner Beau Liam, standing at Airdrie Stud for $6k after a promising career cut short by injury. Watch Smartly was a mediocre racehorse whose foals had gotten mostly mediocre results. But Belgian's debut was hardly mediocre: an 11-length sloppy off-the-turf Spa romp. Before this, Beau Liam's 32 starters had topped out at 67 on the Beyer scale, but Belgian raised that bar considerably.

2. IT'S OUR TIME, SAR, 8/16, 6 1/2 furlongs, 'TDN Rising Star' (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 94
(c, 2, by Not This Time–Shea D Summer, by Summer Front)
O-Double Down Horse Racing. B-South Gate Farm (Va). T-Tom Amoss. J-Luis Saez.
Amoss has celebrated big wins at Saratoga previously–Heritage of Gold won the GII Diana and GI Go For Wand in 1999-2000, a decade later Backtalk won the GII Sanford, and Serengeti Empress took the GI Ballerina before an empty grandstand in 2020. This was memorable in a different way: no fancy trophy and no Roman numerals, but instead a jaw-dropping 17 3/4 length debut victory by It's Our Time that went viral in racing circles and puts him high on lists for major fall 2-year-old stakes.

1. SEMPER PRIMUS, ELP, 8/17, 6 furlongs
Beyer Speed Figure- 100
(c, 3, by Improbable–Inaugurate, by Empire Maker)
O-Doubledown Stables. B-Glen Hill Farm (Ky). T-James DiVito. J-Walter Rodriguez.
We have a double down exacta! No. 2 fastest maiden It's Our Time (above) belongs to Elza and Alex Mitchum, a father-son combo billed as Double Down Horse Racing – not to be confused with Doubledown Stables of Richard and Diane Templer, whose Semper Primus is our No. 1 fastest maiden of last week. His 8 1/4-length rout of Ellis Park maidens earned the second-highest Beyer since Five Fastest Maidens began in early May, a tick behind Brant's 101 last month at Del Mar. In three starts over three months, Semper Primus' has improved his Beyers from 52 to 85 to 100, a true doubledown.