Speed figures: These are last week's 25 fastest stakes winners
Patches O'Houlihan, the Sovereign Award winner for Canada's horse of the year in 2024, won his seasonal debut in a performance that earned him the fastest Brisnet Speed Rating of the week, 108.
Returning in the 5 1/2-furlong Thorncliffe Stakes on the Woodbine Tapeta course Sunday, Patches O'Houlihan took some brief pressure while setting the early pace. Jockey Sofia Vives let the Robert Tiller trainee clear off around the turn. Patches O'Houlihan remained clear down the lane under a hand ride, setting a new track record and crossing the wire four lengths clear of another Canada champion, Filo di Arianna. In addition to earning him the top Brisnet figure of the week, the performance also earned the 5-year-old Reload gelding a 108 Beyer.
The highest Beyer of the week, a 110, went to Skelly for his third straight victory in the Lake Hamilton Stakes at Oaklawn. The 6-year-old Practical Joke gelding jumped out to a clear lead early in the six-furlong dirt race. Headstrong, he opened up around the turn, and continued to open up despite jockey Ricardo Santana keeping him under a hold down the lane. He won by 10 1/2 lengths over Ryvit, his stablemate in the Steve Asmussen barn. That performance also earned him a 106 Brisnet figure.
Fierceness earned a 107 Brisnet figure, the second-highest of the week, for his track-record performance in the Alysheba (G2) at Churchill Downs. The second-highest Beyer of the week, a 109, went to Kopion for her victory in the Derby City Distaff (G1). For his 1 1/2-length victory in the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty earned a 103 Brisnet rating and a 104 Beyer. In a week full of top-class racing, that was the fifth-highest figure on both scales.
For more on speed figures, see Horse Racing Nation’s database of the top speed figures of the year, where you can sort runners by age, sex, surface and distance. The 6-year-old
Here are the figures for last week's highest-rated stakes winners, ranked by Brisnet Speed Ratings, with Beyer Speed Figures from Daily Racing Form.
| Horse | Race | Jockey | Brisnet | Beyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patches O'Houlihan | Thorncliffe | Sofia Vives | 108 | 108 |
| Fierceness | Alysheba (G2) | John Velázquez | 107 | 107 |
| Kopion | Derby City Distaff (G1) | Kazushi Kimura | 106 | 109 |
| Skelly | Lake Hamilton | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 106 | 110 |
| Sovereignty | Kentucky Derby (G1) | Júnior Alvarado | 103 | 104 |
| Touchuponastar | EVD Classic | Tim Thornton | 103 | 102 |
| Fort Bragg | St. Matthews Overnight | Juan Hernández | 102 | 97 |
| Haulin Ice | Vagrancy (G3) | John Velázquez | 102 | 94 |
| Liberal Arts | Knicks Go Overnight | Luis Saez | 102 | 96 |
| Macho Music | Pat Day Mile (G2) | Javier Castellano | 100 | 97 |
| Mindframe | Churchill Downs (G1) | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 100 | 99 |
| Think Big | Turf Sprint (G2) | Ben Curtis | 100 | 100 |
| Earhart | Whimsical (G3) | Rafael Hernández | 99 | 96 |
| Queen Maxima | Unbridled Sidney (G3) | Juan Hernández | 99 | 97 |
| She Feels Pretty | Modesty (G3) | John Velázquez | 99 | 96 |
| Honor Marie | Isaac Murphy Marathon | Ben Curtis | 98 | 92 |
| Saudi Crown | Lake Ouachita | Abel Cedillo | 98 | 101 |
| Bishops Bay | Westchester (G3) | Flavien Prat | 97 | 102 |
| Spirit of St Louis | Turf Classic (G1) | Manny Franco | 97 | 102 |
| Deterministic | Fort Marcy (G2) | Kendrick Carmouche | 96 | 98 |
| Good Cheer | Kentucky Oaks (G1) | Luis Saez | 95 | 91 |
| Look Forward | Eight Belles (G2) | Umberto Rispoli | 95 | 87 |
| Raging Sea | La Troienne (G1) | Flavien Prat | 95 | 85 |
| My Boy Prince | Elusive Quality | Jose Lezcano | 94 | 95 |
| Zulu Kingdom | American Turf (G1) | Flavien Prat | 94 | 90 |