Fastest maidens: Maxfield colt romps to blazing 129 figure
Last week produced an exciting collection of maiden winners, headlined by 2-year-old colt Englishman's remarkable 129 HRN speed figure at Churchill Downs. The week's fastest maidens showcase top-tier training operations, with established names such as Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox and Cherie DeVaux leading the way.
Todd Pletcher secured two winners during the period, including the impressive 3-year-old filly Noticeable, who earned a 112 HRN figure at Gulfstream Park, and Battle Drum, who posted a 99 at the same track. Michael McCarthy also produced a pair of winners with 2-year-old filly Meaning achieving 104 at Santa Anita and 2-year-old colt Bust Out earning a 101. Kevin Attard contributed two winners at Woodbine with Magna Time and Celebrity Ro, both posting 103 figures.
Sire influence
Englishman's week-topping 129 figure is the fastest for a newcomer by a freshman sire, adding to Maxfield's late-season winner tally. The son of Street Sense is ranked third among freshman sires by wins and money earned.
Established sires Curlin, Union Rags and Tapit also contributed winners with triple-digit speed figures.
Top maiden winners by speed figure
Englishman, 129 HRN speed figure
Englishman delivered the week's most impressive performance with a 129 HRN speed figure in his debut at Churchill Downs on Friday. By Maxfield out of In It for the Gold, the Cherie DeVaux-trained 2-year-old colt overcame early trouble to win by 7 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on dirt. Jose Ortiz guided the 2-1 favorite to victory for C R K Stable in the 10-horse field, with his running comment noting he "set pace ... drew off upper, wrapped up late." The combination of impressive breeding, explosive debut performance and strong connections suggests Englishman could develop into a serious juvenile prospect.
Noticeable, 112
Noticeable earned a 112 HRN speed figure when breaking through in her second career start at Gulfstream Park on Friday. A 3-year-old filly by Curlin out of Grade 3 winner Tiger Moth, the Todd Pletcher trainee showed remarkable determination to win by a diminishing length at 3-1 odds under Edgard Zayas. Repole Stable's filly "attended pace, battled... wore down foe late" in the competitive six-horse maiden special weight over one mile on dirt.
Angel Bella, 110
Three-year-old filly Angel Bella provided the week's biggest upset, earning a 110 HRN speed figure in winning at 22-1 odds in her second career start at Churchill Downs on Friday. By Union Rags out of Lalibela, the Whit Beckman-trained filly overcame an "awkward start" to rally from off the pace and win by 2 1/4 lengths under Luan Machado. Haymarket Farm's filly was "off pace... rallied, drove clear" in the competitive eight-horse maiden special weight over one mile on dirt.
Tap the Champagne, 109
Tap the Champagne, a 4-year-old sister to Grade 1 winner Majestic Harbour, finally found her winning form, posting a 109 HRN speed figure in her seventh career start at Laurel Park on Sunday. By Tapit out of a stakes-producing dam, the Michelle Nihei-trained filly dominated a maiden special weight over 1 1/16 miles on turf, winning by 3 1/4 lengths at 7-2 odds. The surface switch to grass proved to be the key for this well-bred mare.
Fine Vino, 109
Three-year-old colt Fine Vino announced his arrival with a 109 HRN speed figure and dominant 8 1/2-length victory in his debut at Churchill Downs on Wednesday. By Vino Rosso, the Brad Cox-trained colt justified 7-2 odds with an authoritative performance over one mile on dirt.
Screen Test, 100
Two-year-old filly Screen Test earned a solid 100 HRN speed figure in her second career start for trainer Graham Motion. The daughter of red-hot sire Not This Time showed the kind of progression that suggests she could develop into a useful prospect as she gains more experience.
| HRN Fig | Horse Name | Div | Sire | Date | Track | Surface | Distance | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 129 | Englishman | 2C | Maxfield | 9/19 | CD | Dirt | 7F | Cherie DeVaux |
| 112 | Noticeable | 3F | Curlin | 9/19 | GP | Dirt | 1M | Todd Pletcher |
| 110 | Angel Bella | 3F | Union Rags | 9/19 | CD | Dirt | 1M | D. Beckman |
| 109 | Tap the Champagne | 4F | Tapit | 9/21 | LRL | Turf | 1 1/16M | Michelle Nihei |
| 109 | Fine Vino | 3C | Vino Rosso | 9/17 | CD | Dirt | 1M | Brad Cox |
| 109 | Salming | 4G | Bernardini | 9/19 | LRL | Dirt | 7F | Brittany Russell |
| 107 | Mr Punctuality | 3G | Rowayton | 9/19 | PRX | Dirt | 6.5F | Guadalupe Preciado |
| 107 | Attersee | 3C | Klimt | 9/21 | HAW | Dirt | 6F | Chris M. Block |
| 107 | Ghost Busted | 3G | Shaman Ghost | 9/16 | FE | Dirt | 6.5F | Sylvain Pion |
| 106 | Buds Notion | 2G | Great Notion | 9/20 | DEL | Dirt | 6F | Gary Capuano |
| 106 | Evan On Earth | 4C | Congrats | 9/21 | CD | Dirt | 6.5F | Gregory Foley |
| 106 | Miskellieanne | 3F | McKinzie | 9/15 | LAD | Turf | 1M | Kirk Ziadie |
| 105 | Tina Turner | 3F | Grazen | 9/21 | LRC | Dirt | 5.5F | Steve R. Knapp |
| 104 | Meaning | 2F | Gun Runner | 9/20 | LRC | Dirt | 6.5F | Michael McCarthy |
| 104 | Asleep At Eight | 3G | Frosted | 9/16 | FL | Dirt | 6F | Charlton Baker |
| 104 | Piper's Gift | 2F | Yorkton | 9/20 | WO | Synthetic | 6F | Dale A. Desruisseaux |
| 103 | Spuns Kitten | 3F | Spun to Run | 9/15 | MNR | Dirt | 6F | John R. Shuler |
| 103 | Magna Time | 3G | Not This Time | 9/21 | WO | Turf | 1M | Kevin Attard |
| 103 | Diferencia | 4F | Flintshire (GB) | 9/16 | MNR | Turf | 1M | Eric R. Reed |
| 103 | Cuando | 4G | Not This Time | 9/20 | BAQ | Turf | 1M | Bruce N. Levine |
| 103 | Celebrity Ro | 4F | Oscar Performance | 9/20 | WO | Turf | 1M | Kevin Attard |
| 103 | Parametric | 2F | Nyquist | 9/17 | PEN | Dirt | 5.5F | Cathal Lynch |
| 102 | Minute by Minute | 2F | Not This Time | 9/20 | BAQ | Dirt | 6.5F | Chad Brown |
| 102 | Miss Fulton Gal | 2F | Rock Your World | 9/18 | DEL | Dirt | 6F | Michael E. Gorham |
| 102 | Daring Hope | 4F | Lookin At Lucky | 9/17 | BTP | Dirt | 6F | Ismael Bahena |
| 102 | Shout to the Lord | 4F | Curlin | 9/20 | LRL | Dirt | 7F | Todd Beattie |
| 101 | Dawn After Dawn | 3F | Complexity | 9/15 | IND | Dirt | 1M 70Y | Cipriano Contreras |
| 101 | Bust Out | 2C | Complexity | 9/20 | LRC | Dirt | 6.5F | Michael McCarthy |
| 100 | Screen Test | 2F | Not This Time | 9/19 | LRL | Turf | 1M | Graham Motion |
| 100 | Red Volta | 4F | Tale of Ekati | 9/17 | CBY | Dirt | 6F | Robert N. Cline |
| 100 | Celebrity Quest | 2F | Nyquist | 9/20 | PRX | Dirt | 6.5F | Tom Amoss |
| 99 | Lucy Playa | 4F | Lookin At Lucky | 9/16 | PID | Synthetic | 1M 70Y | Karl M. Grusmark |
| 99 | Moe Eighty Eight | 3G | Solomini | 9/18 | BAQ | Turf | 1 1/16M | John Ortiz |
| 99 | Tricky Kitty | 3F | Kitten's Joy | 9/19 | CD | Turf | 1 1/16M | Brendan Walsh |
| 99 | Battle Drum (FR) | 3R | Siyouni (FR) | 9/19 | BAQ | Turf | 1 1/16M | Todd Pletcher |