Five Fastest Maidens for the Week of Feb. 16 – 22

[Wandering Eyes]

5 – BLACKSMITH, SA, 2/20-3rd, 1 mile (video)
Beyer Speed Figure-82
(c, 3, by Liam's Map–Sweet Achiever, by Curlin)
O-Wathnan Racing. B-Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings & St Elias Stables (Ky). T-Bob Baffert. J-Florent Geroux.
Distance has always been important for Blacksmith given his pedigree, and he was striding out nicely in this decisive 3 3/4-length score to make amends for a puzzling flop at odds-on six weeks ago. His unraced Curlin dam is a full-sister to former Baffert speed demon Cezanne, but her granddam happens to be Better Than Honour, the No. 1 female stamina influence of the past quarter-century. This is his second appearance on Five Fastest Maidens and should be his third: his runnerup 94 Beyer on Dec. 13 went undocumented since it was achieved in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity and not a maiden race (apologies to Blacksmith for the oversight).

 

4 – RIVER WIND, OP, 2/16-1st, 6 furlongs (video)
Beyer Speed Figure-83
(f, 3, by Lexitonian–Rachae Leigh, by Stormin Fever)
O-Turman Racing Stable, Resilient Six Stables and TJR Thoroughbreds. B-Javie Woodstock & Javier Hernandez (Ky), T-Norm Casse, J-Ramon Vazquez.
Getting support at 4-1 in her debut, she sped to the front and left a modest field 8 1/4 lengths in her wake. This first crop of Calumet stallion Lexitonian has produced a SoCal stakes winner in Revera, a Woodbine stakes winner in Fire and Wine, and She Be Smooth, a Todd Pletcher-trained contender in Saturday's Davona Dale at Gulfstream. And River Wind's 83 Beyer is the second-highest among Lexitonian's 113 starters to date.

River Wind | Coady Media

 

3 – GREAT MOMENT, FG, 2/21-7th, 6 furlongs (video)
Beyer Speed Figure-85 (2nd)
(c, 4, by Flatter–Josaka, by Smart Strike)
O/B-Tamaroak Partners (Ky). T-Greg Foley. J-Mitchell Murrill.
Sent away at 13-1, his best Beyer in five previous races had been 58. But Beyer Speed Figures are based on the teletimer, not handicapping, and he stopped the clock at 1:09.74 in his runner-up finish Saturday over a Fair Grounds surface that wasn't lightning-fast. And this addendum: owned and bred by Fred and Debbie Schwartz, Great Moment is a half-brother to Bango, the popular sprinter retired last fall with a record lifetime 12 wins at Churchill Downs alone.

 

2 – BRING THE SMOKE, LRL, 2/21-2nd, 6 furlongs (video)
Beyer Speed Figure- 91
(g, 4, by Preservationist–Covey Trace, by Stevie Wonderboy)
O-Team Gaudet. B-Brereton C Jones (Ky). T-Lacey Gaudet. J-Forest Boyce.
Making his second start, he didn't have much to beat: his three rivals were a combined 0-for-39. But he didn't just beat them – he pounded them by a widening 18 1/4 lengths as the 3-5 favorite. Preservationist stood for $5k at his conception (and died last summer in Korea), his dam sold in November 2024 for $9k, and he brought only $37k as a yearling. But the latest number – his 91 Beyer – is legit.

 

1 – SARGENT SULLY, FG, 2/21-7th, 6 furlongs (video)
Beyer Speed Figure-93
(c, 4, by Instagrand–Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie)
O/B-OXO Equine (Ky). T-Will Walden. J-Ben Curtis.
A Beyer progression from 48 to 74 to 93 is illogical, you say?  Well, aside from the small detail that Sargent Sully scorched six furlongs in 1:09.11, he also is a half-brother to Hot Rod Charlie ($5.9 million) and champion sprinter Mitole ($3.1 million). Indian Miss had already produced an Eclipse Award winner, and OXO's Larry Best added her to his broodmare band for $1.9 million three days after Hot Rod Charlie gave a peek into his future with his second to Essential Quality at 94-1 in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

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