Fastest maidens: Mark Casse trains 2 of 35 triple-digit winners

Last week produced an impressive collection of maiden winners led by Rumbling's 115 Horse Racing Nation speed figure at Hawthorne. The gelding's commanding 11 3/4-length victory highlighted a week where 35 horses broke their maidens with figures of 100 or above.

Established names such as Mark Casse, Mike Maker and Steve Asmussen led the way with multiple winners, though well-known and smaller barns brought out runners with a bright future. The week featured a strong mix of first-time starters and more experienced horses finally breaking through.

Leading trainers unveil new prospects

Mark Casse trained two impressive winners in the last week. Those include Americathegreat, who earned a 107 HRN figure at Churchill Downs, and first-time starter Counting Stars, who put up a 100 figure at the same track. Mike Maker sent out Letmecounttheways, a debut winner who posted a 105 figure when winning by 5 1/2 lengths at Belmont at Aqueduct.

Steve Asmussen won with Wakuda at Remington Park and Crimsonite at Churchill Downs. The Mott family was represented with Bill Mott's Chillax earning 111 and Riley Mott's Incredibolt posting 113.

Sire influence

Get Stormy led the sire standings with Rumbling's week-topping 115 figure, and Bolt d'Oro was represented by two impressive winners in Incredibolt and Tom Cat Tuesday. Curlin continues his sire excellence with Americathegreat, who is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner First Captain.

Gun Runner made his mark with Wakuda and Weaponized earning triple-digit figures. Classic Empire, Tapit and Into Mischief also contributed notable winners, with Provenance representing Into Mischief's continued influence among top juveniles.

Rumbling, 115 HRN speed figure

Three-year-old gelding Rumbling delivered the week's most impressive performance with a 115 HRN speed figure in a dominant victory at Hawthorne on Saturday. By Get Stormy, the Max Quiñonez-trained gelding ran to his even-money odds, rolling clear to win by 11 3/4 lengths in a six-furlong maiden claimer on dirt. Alexander Bendezu guided the gelding to victory in the six-horse field, with his running comment noting he came "quickly into stride, set the pace three wide, drew away handily." The margin of victory in his ninth career start suggests this gelding has finally found his best form and distance combination.

Igniter, 114

Two-year-old colt Igniter earned a 114 HRN speed figure when breaking through in his second career start at Belmont at Aqueduct on Friday. By Volatile out of Grade 1 winner Malibu Prayer, the Richard Dutrow Jr.-trained colt justified even-money favoritism with a one-length victory under Manuel Franco. The Three Chimneys Farm homebred showed tactical speed as he "moved out... stalked out, bid 1/2, asked ... lead 3/16, responded, held" over one mile on dirt. The combination of proven breeding, quality connections and strong debut figure suggests Igniter could develop into a serious juvenile prospect.

Shadow Coast, 113

Shadow Coast posted a 113 HRN speed figure while breaking through in his 10th career start at Churchill Downs on Tuesday. By West Coast out of the Quality Road mare Overprepared, the Dallas Stewart-trained 3-year-old colt finally found his winning form on a muddy track, winning by a half-length at even-money odds under Luis Saez. The colt showed determination as he had "speed... clear turn, met bid... dug in, held firm" in the eight-horse maiden claimer.

Incredibolt, 113

Incredibolt earned a 113 HRN speed figure in an impressive debut victory at Churchill Downs on Saturday. By Bolt d'Oro out of Sapphire Spitfire, the Riley Mott-trained 2-year-old colt lived up to 2-1 odds to win by two lengths under Jaime Torres. Dean and Greg Baer's color-bearer showed patience as he "stalked close up inside, took aim... drove past 1/16" over one mile on dirt. The impressive debut figure and tactical racing style suggest this colt could develop into a useful route prospect.

Americathegreat, 107

Three-year-old filly Americathegreat posted a 107 HRN speed figure when breaking through in her fourth career start at Churchill Downs on Friday. By Curlin out of Grade 3 winner America, the Mark Casse-trained filly is a half-sister to Grade 3 winner First Captain, who has earned over $662,000. Tyler Gaffalione guided the even-money favorite to a three-quarter length victory in the nine-horse maiden special weight over one mile on dirt. Her running style showed determination as she "vied 2 wide, short lead turn, drove clear 1/16, lasted late" against quality competition.

Provenance, 103

Two-year-old colt Provenance earned a 103 HRN speed figure in his second career start at Santa Anita on Friday. By Into Mischief out of champion Monomoy Girl, the Bob Baffert-trained colt carries exceptional family credentials for Spendthrift Farm. Juan Hernandez guided the 2-5 favorite to a 1 3/4-length victory over six furlongs on dirt, with the colt showing early speed as he had "pace inside, cleared turn, held safely."

Fastest maiden winners