Five Fastest Maidens: Feb. 9-15

Wandering Eyes · 2026-02-17T22:55:02Z

Five different tracks produced our fastest maidens this week, and the list includes nothing but winners – no runners-up.

5. CREED'S VISION, TAM, 2/14-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-89
(g, 4, by Jimmy Creed–Moon Vision, by Pollard's Vision)
O-West Point Thoroughbreds, Michael P. Lyden and CJ Stables. B-Country Life Farm and Moon Vision Broodmare (Md). T-Arnaud Delacour. J-Charlie Marquez.
West Point could have another solid Maryland-bred on its hands. Jaxon Traveler was recently retired after a remarkable run of sprint stakes wins every year from age 2 to 7, and now Creed's Vision has seemingly turned his career around at Tampa. His back-to-back Beyers of 84 and now 89 are 20 points higher than what he recorded in five starts as a 2- and 3-year-old at Laurel. He's modestly-bred–the first foal to race from a dam who squeezed $234k out of 44 starts–but he's a gelding, so who cares?

4. SEA VISTA, AQU, 2/12-1st, 6 1/2 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-90
(c, 4, by Street Sense–Sara Louise, by Malibu Moon)
O/B- Godolphin (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Manny Franco
Given her fine Godolphin pedigree, Sea Vista had been an underachiever. Her full sister Sara Street placed in three stakes including a strong half-length 2nd in the Gazelle Stakes (Gr. II), and stakes-winning half-brother Nash ran fast races, as well. But in her sixth start, she got over the hump with a determined odds-on victory for a career-high Beyer. Three-time GSW Sara Louise has had difficulties getting into foal lately, but was bred in 2026 to Speaker's Corner.

3. PUBLISHER, OP, 2/15-2nd, 1 1/16 miles (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-90
(c, 4, by American Pharoah–Indian Pride, by Proud Citizen)
O-Gus King and Estate of Brereton Jones. B-Brereton Jones (Ky). T-Steve Asmussen. J-Erik Asmussen.
Yes, this is the same Publisher who was 2nd in the Arkansas Derby last year to earn a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby. Yes, he was still a maiden after a dozen starts, including back-to-back odds-on losses against maiden company. But at 3-to-5 Sunday, this time, the $600,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate he overcame brief traffic issues to deliver in a big way. Asmussen has no peers at spotting horses like this in the right stakes races around the country, so you'll probably be encountering his name the rest of the year.

2. TROUBLE CALLING, FG, 2/14-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-91
(c, 3, by Dialed In–Into Trouble, by Into Mischief)
O/B- Donamire Farm (Ky). T-Greg Foley. J-Luis Saez
Trouble Calling proved his recent sharply improved Beyer–which previously earned him a matching No. 2 ranking on Five Fastest Maidens–was no fluke. He couldn't quite deal with debuter Knock It Off that day, but Saturday at Fair Grounds he sailed home by 6 1/4 lengths in a sprint Beyer only two points slower than Paladin earned in the Risen Star later on the card. Donamire dam Into Trouble won the Arlington-Washington Lassie and has also produced top turf sprinters Troubleshooting (Gr. I winner) and Big Trouble.

1. THE LAST STRAW, SA, 2/15-2nd, 6 furlongs (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure-93
(c, 4, by Into Mischief-Bast, by Uncle Mo)
O/B-Spendthrift Farm (Ky). T-Richard Mandella. J-Marco Demuro.
The proverbial racing lightbulb went on in his fourth lifetime start, as he showed signs of living up to his illustrious Spendthrift pedigree. Into Mischief….enough said. Bast is a familiar name as well–a three-time Gr. I winner who was third in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her racing career ended prematurely after taking the Gr. II Santa Ynez in January of her 3-year-old season, and Spendthrift bought her at that year's Keeneland November for $4.2 million from Baoma Corp. owners Charles and Susan Cho. The Last Straw is Bast's second foal to race.