Five Fastest Maidens, Presented by Taylor Made – Aug. 18 – 24

Wandering Eyes · August 26

5 (tie). INTREPIDO, DMR, 8/23, 1 mile R1
Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (VIDEO)
(r, 2, by Maximus Mischief–Overly Indulgent, by Pleasantly Perfect)
O-Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. B-Sierra Fria Farm. T-Jeff Mullins. J-Hector Berrios.
En route to a 3 1/4-length win in his second start, he jointly set the pace then decisively rebuffed a quarter-pole bid from Spendthrift's odds-on Baffert first timer Provenance (Into Mischief-Monomoy Girl). He may be an overachiever: his three siblings to race have started 42 times with a top Beyer figure of 74.

5 (tie). BIG DOM, SAR, 8/23, 6 furlongs R6
Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (VIDEO)
(c, 2, by McKinzie–Half A.P., by Pulpit)
O-Greenwell Thoroughbreds. B-Merriebelle Stable. T-Tom Amoss. J-Jose Ortiz.
Owner Greg Tramontin (No Parole, Quickick) purchased the former Siena Farm and has renamed his stable to honor his biological father. His association with Amoss continues, and this colt was ready to roll at Saratoga at first asking. Last week Amoss made this list with another 2-year-old colt, It's Our Time, a flashy Saratoga debut winner for Double Down Horse Racing.

4. LADY IVA, ELP, 8/23, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) R9
Beyer Speed Figure- 85 (2nd)
(f, 3, by Uncle Mo–Iva, by Scat Daddy)
O-Clarmont Racing and Hidden Brook Farm. B-Bonne Chance Farm. T-Bret Calhoun. J-Edgar Morales.
She may have been a touch unlucky in her debut against Break Even (below). She was pinched back at the break then took an outside route into the stretch as the winner got a rail run. On the other hand, she had every chance to go past in the final 3/16ths and couldn't. But whichever is the truest perspective, Lady Iva's career is definitely off to an encouraging start.

3. DEBT FREE, ELP, 8/23, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) R9
Beyer Speed Figure-86
(f, 3, by Not This Time–Break Even, by Country Day)
O/B-Klein Racing (Ky). T-Cherie DeVaux. J-Axel Concepcion.
Break Even was a star for the Klein family stable, winning four stakes including a romp in the Grade II Eight Belles with Beyers along the way of 99, 95, 95 and 94. Her first foal, Debt Free, took a few races to come to hand but her stalking maiden victory at Ellis continues her pattern of steady improvement.

2. WESTWOOD, DMR, 8/24, 1 mile R1
Beyer Speed Figure- 88 (VIDEO)
(g, 3, by Authentic–Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie)
O-CRK Stable. B-Hinkle Farms (Ky). T-John Shirreffs. J-Hector Berrios.
Recall that maiden Westwood was the “other” Searing/ Shirreffs runner in the Santa Anita Derby, outrunning Citizen Bull to the lead as scripted and winding up a well-beaten third behind Journalism and stablemate Baeza. After that, he was fourth in the Affirmed Stakes, and clearly appreciated class relief Sunday at Del Mar, leading all the way for a 3 1/4-length score over favored Penalty Box.

1.TRUTH AND BEAUTY, SAR, 8/21, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf) R7
Beyer Speed Figure- 90 (VIDEO)
(f, 4, by Bolt d'Oro–Del Mar May, by Jimmy Creed)
O-November Hill. B-Joel R Politi (Ky). T-Raymond Handal. J-Flavien Prat.
The “truth” here was hardly self-evident. Truth and Beauty had made one previous start at the end of her 3-year-old season and was badly beaten as the 9/5 chalk. Now she returns after 8 1/2 months with a trainer change from Bill Mott to Handal, switches to grass with two recent slow turf breezes, adds blinkers, adds Lasix, adds Prat….and voila…a 4 1/2 length romp in a stakes-caliber figure.