McLean's Music

[Dark Bay]

What are the Beyer Boys waiting for? Did he earn the best Beyer of any 3yo this year, or better yet the best Beyer ever by a first time starter?

If Via Verde in the first got an 88 for running 1.09.22, what's the estimate for 1.07.44?

I'm not a figure maker and I know they're some very competent ones here. Any thoughts?

[PhantomOnTour]

That was a hell of a debut. I hope they bring him east for the summer.

[harness2008]

That 107.44 would equate to about a 117 Beyer using Via Verde as a guage. Amazing, but is that possible?

[Marlin]

This was the first day I watched any races from here, and that was because it happened to be on TV in the bar. This horse is a heckuva physical speciman. As far as the numbers go, it has to be strong. However, what is the verdict on figs at this track? Have they proven to be inflated? Has there been an adequate sample for the Beyers to be considered relevant?

[FantasticDan]

Just FYI, Maclean's Music is the correct spelling. :ThmbUp:

K8EqeUseZig

[Stillriledup]

The horse that was 4th beaten 10 lengths had Beyered something like 88 as a firster. So, yeah, if that horse ran another 88, the winner was in the 100s.

How about a 107 as a guess?

[sandpit]

They still haven't posted a number...probably trying to figure out how to justify whatever they come up with.

[PaceAdvantage]

I hope you all noticed how the odds went UP on Maclean's Music from 6/5 to 7/5 during the running of the race...

That was pretty impressive...seems to be a lot of exciting 3yos this year...

Mike Smith on a fast front runner again...oh to dream... :lol:

[sandpit]

How about the running numbers on the screenshot of the video? They've got the http://paceadvantage.com/forum/images/SCNums/4.jpg Cherryzapper on there twice.

[woodbinepmi]

The placing judges was too busy watching this freak run so fast. It will be very interesting to see how the horses behind him come back and run. If there is a better example of a key race I don't know what it is, unless he beat them so bad it took the heart out them.

[Dark Bay]

Looks like 112. Meadow Road was beaten 11.5L and got 83, so that works out to 112. Would equal best ever awarded to first time starter.

[cj]

The official Beyer is listed as 114.

[Dark Bay]

Thanks CJ. Wow! Interesting that his dam Forest Music Beyered 105 in her debut, running 3/5 of a second off Richter Scale's track record.

[Fingal]

That was a hell of a debut. I hope they bring him east for the summer.

You'll probably get your wish as when Asmussen brought a string out to California he said that he was leaving S Cal after Santa Anita no matter how he ended up, be it at the top of the trainer standings or near the bottom. Must be that change back to synthetics.

[andymays]

http://www.drf.com/news/santa-anita-maiden-winner-earns-114-beyer-speed-figure
Excerpt:

the highest number for a debut race since the figures were first published in 1991.

Scott Blasi, Asmussen’s assistant in California, said no plans have been finalized for Maclean’s Music, a son of Distorted Humor.

“He came out of the race in good shape,” Blasi said. “Maybe, he can have one more race.”

[Stillriledup]

How did this horse not pay 2.40 to win, what were people thinking?

[tbwinner]

“He came out of the race in good shape,” Blasi said. “Maybe, he can have one more race.”

What...before they retire him?

[sandpit]

http://www.drf.com/news/santa-anita-maiden-winner-earns-114-beyer-speed-figure
Excerpt:

the highest number for a debut race since the figures were first published in 1991.


You would have thought the Form would have noted whose record was broken: Formal Gold, one of the most underrated and disrespected horses in all of racing.

[PaceAdvantage]

What...before they retire him?Before the SA meet ends...

[plainolebill]

I watched the race and saw the final time, I knew it was fast but 114 BSF for a 1st time starter? Holy smokes. Two really fast colts debut at one meet: The Factor and McClean's Music. Nice.

[woodbinepmi]

Forward Appeal 40Star Dance M D 73 Meadow Road 86 Cherryzapper 50 Fiarano 89 Maclean's Music 114Warren's Dr. Yang 70 Competent 84 Flightofalifetime 97
These are the Beyers for everyone in the race, it will be interesting to see how these hoses all come back after that race and what Beyer number they will earn.

[Stillriledup]

Forward Appeal 40Star Dance M D 73 Meadow Road 86 Cherryzapper 50 Fiarano 89 Maclean's Music 114Warren's Dr. Yang 70 Competent 84 Flightofalifetime 97
These are the Beyers for everyone in the race, it will be interesting to see how these hoses all come back after that race and what Beyer number they will earn.

The Baffert horse should win his next start, he's pretty good.

[Nikki1997]

My first post in handicapping and will probably be my last.

This colt, a lovely boy, indeed, SHOULD BE quick and very fast.

He's a Distorted Humor out of Forest Music. Good grief. He came pre-programmed.

[PhantomOnTour]

My first post in handicapping and will probably be my last.

This colt, a lovely boy, indeed, SHOULD BE quick and very fast.

He's a Distorted Humor out of Forest Music. Good grief. He came pre-programmed.
We are not in awe of or surprised that he won his debut. It's the fashion in which he won it...good grief.
Arguably (Beyer wise) he is the fastest debut runner in 20yrs...is it okay if some folks are REALLY impressed with that?
Good grief.

[Nikki1997]

We are not in awe of or surprised that he won his debut. It's the fashion in which he won it...good grief.
Arguably (Beyer wise) he is the fastest debut runner in 20yrs...is it okay if some folks are REALLY impressed with that?
Good grief.

Be impressed to your heart's content.

[cj]

My first post in handicapping and will probably be my last.

This colt, a lovely boy, indeed, SHOULD BE quick and very fast.

He's a Distorted Humor out of Forest Music. Good grief. He came pre-programmed.

We all know breeding is 100% exact science...thanks for that.

[Nikki1997]

We all know breeding is 100% exact science...thanks for that.


I knew you'd have an astute understanding of what I wrote.

You don't understand the possibility of bloodlines playing a part in a horse's makeup, ability and talent and that is comical. Hope you've got a steady supply of quarters for your horse. At least that is black and white, which is right in your territory.

[RXB]

We all know breeding is 100% exact science...

It can't be, otherwise the authorities would've ensured that Nikki's parents were kept apart.

[Dahoss9698]

Two really fast colts debut at one meet: The Factor and McClean's Music. Nice.

Don't forget Wilburn, a big son of Bernardini that romped earlier this month for the same connections as Maclean's Music. His Beyer was a 91 and he looked like a horse who wanted to go a lot farther than the 6 1/2 furlongs of his race. Stonestreet also has Albergatti, who if not fried after the stupid decision to run in the San Felipe might be okay.

Asmussen is stacked with impressive maiden breakers who might make a lot of noise this summer.

[MickJ26]

Somebody on Facebook mentioned the irony of seeing Mike Smith in the Stonestreet silks at Santa Anita.

[Some_One]

CJ, do you have a fig for this race? I'm getting 103 only for MM...fast, but not 114 fast...could be a spot to play against some of the also rans in the future.

[RXB]

I have it at 112. Pace figure nearly as strong, too. The other dirt races would scale way too low if MM only got a 103. I wouldn't give out a 112 maiden win lightly, never mind 114, but it seems justified on the evidence at hand. The top two horses had already left their opponents way back in the dust halfway around the turn, and the other two early runners were coming out of frontrunning/pressing tries in a fairly quick 5.5f race so it's not like they figured to be slugs by any means.

The horse was incredible not only during the race but also afterwards. Looked fresh as a daisy. His pedigree says early-maturing sprinter-miler, so how far he will run and how much he might improve are certainly open to debate. But the debut was tremendous on all counts.

[BMeadow]

My Master Win Ratings cover only horses who've raced in California--but the rating of 25 I've given to Maclean's Music is the highest I've ever given a once-raced maiden out here in the 22 years I've been compiling these numbers.

[bigmack]

My Master Win Ratings cover only horses who've raced in California--but the rating of 25 I've given to Maclean's Music is the highest I've ever given a once-raced maiden out here in the 22 years I've been compiling these numbers.
Who were the other noteworthy ratings you've figured over the years?

[RXB]

I saw a Wally Dollase colt by Mr. Prospector make his debut in the mid-90's-- can't remember the colt's name. He got a huge number for his debut at Santa Anita, which he won by a massive margin, though in my view he wasn't as impressive as Maclean's Music was yesterday.

In his second race, he went off at 1/5 or 1/9 around two turns, only won by about a length, speed figure tailed off noticeably. He then failed in a few stakes tries and that was it.

Another was Fly'n J Bryan, trained by Doug Peterson. Big sprint debut, although again I wouldn't rate it as strong as what Maclean's Music produced. Followed up with a stakes sprint win at miniscule odds but earned a lower Beyer, then failed as the heavy favourite in a SA Derby prep and was well-beaten again in the SA Derby itself. Went back to sprinting, never improved; ended up running in claiming races.

You just never know whether those precocious types will move forward or not.

[BMeadow]

"Who were the other noteworthy ratings you've figured over the years?"

I don't have the historical records, but most recently, Runflatout was a 23 after his first start. In the past, I remember giving Olympio a 24 after a very troubled debut.

The only horses to race in California in 2011 with higher ratings than Maclean's Music are Misremembered (28), Caracortado (27), Cost Of Freedom (27), Bourbon Bay (26), Jeranimo (26), and Twirling Candy (26). All are older stakes horses.

[ManeMediaMogul]

Aren't these speed figures, earned over a track that seems almost paved, dubious at best?

[cj]

I knew you'd have an astute understanding of what I wrote.

You don't understand the possibility of bloodlines playing a part in a horse's makeup, ability and talent and that is comical. Hope you've got a steady supply of quarters for your horse. At least that is black and white, which is right in your territory.

For every horse that lives up to its breeding, about 19 don't. That was my only point.

[cj]

CJ, do you have a fig for this race? I'm getting 103 only for MM...fast, but not 114 fast...could be a spot to play against some of the also rans in the future.

I think I had 112/113 with pace about the same.

[cj]

Aren't these speed figures, earned over a track that seems almost paved, dubious at best?

While the times have been fast, and there have been speed bias days, the track has generally been pretty fair. Isn't one of the strong points of figures that they take track speed into account? If they didn't, why bother?

Fast tracks aren't always speed biased, just as slow tracks can be.

[netbet]

I see Flightofalifetime is entered in the 2nd race on Saturday (4/9).

[RXB]

The 6th and 9th place finishers from that race ran 1-2 in a MCL75k at SA today.