Five Fastest Maidens for June 15-21

5) PHANTOM BLUE, BAQ, 6/18-1st, 1 mile (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 82 (2nd)
(f, 3, by Ghostzapper-Seeking the Blue, by Arch)
O-Resolute Racing. B-Payson Stud (Ky). T-Will Walden. J- Dylan Davis.

John Stewart's $1.2 million 2-year-old purchase is still looking for his first victory, but with Beyers of 81, 83 and 82 against quality rivals in his three starts, success is surely around the corner. He was favored at 4/5 here and cleared to the rail after early contract but couldn't finish with Long Term Market (below). His dam wasn't much of a runner but is a half-sister to graded-placed Janis Joplin and stakes-placed Vino Rouge.

4) TWIRLING LAD, BAQ, 6/21-4th, 1 1-16 miles (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 82
(c, 3, by Twirling Candy-Kerry Girl, by Pioneerof the Nile)
O-The Three Colleens Stable. B-David and Christine Stack (NY). T-Horacio De Paz. J-Edgard Zayas.

Allowed to control the pace in a leisurely :49.41 opening half-mile, he dashed home with a final quarter of :23.25 to romp against New York-breds with a career-high Beyer. The underrated Twirling Candy has sired quality performers on all surfaces, but his top five career earners (Ag Bullet, Fionn, Walkathon, Gear Jockey and Concrete Rose) are/were all confirmed turf runners.

3) ROYAL GUARD, CD, 6/17-6th, 1 1-2 miles (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 85
(c, 3, by Essential Quality-Cobb Hill (FR), by Arch)
O-FMQ Stables. B-Fred Hertrich III and John Fielding (Ky). T-Brad Cox. J-Irad Ortiz Jr.

When a 12-furlong turf maiden appeared in Churchill's condition book, Royal Guard was a logical participant. His sire won the Belmont Stakes, his French dam ran 1 3/8 miles (slowly) in her final two races, and his two grass starts were decent and left the impression more distance might be helpful. After he stormed away by 4 3/4 lengths, the logical followup question is: can he find a 1 1/2-mile non-winners of two? Kentucky Downs maybe?

2) LONG TERM MARKET, BAQ, 6/18-1st, 1 mile (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 85
(f, 3, by McKinzie-Minetta, by Khozan)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-MKW Racing and Breeding (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Flavien Prat.

The Brown second-time-starter angle strikes again. Over five years, he is winning at 29% (including a slight flat-bet profit) with second-out maidens. Long Term Market–2nd in her debut to the promising Brad Cox-trained filly Highgrove–was placed by Prat on the outside hip of pacesetting favorite Phantom Blue (above) then edged away in the final quarter. Through last Sunday, owner Seth Klarman had won with 6 of his last 12 starters.

1) MARKET TIMING, MTH, 6/21-8th, 1 1-16 miles (turf) (VIDEO)
Beyer Speed Figure- 88
(g, 4, by Laoban-House Rules, by Distorted Humor)
O-Klaravich Stables. B-WinStar Farm (Ky). T-Chad Brown. J-Samuel Marin.

Exiled from Brown's first string since a disappointing debut 14 months ago, he trained at Fair Hill and Monmouth and was gelded in the interim. But after being hammered to 1-to-2 odds in his second start, he obliterated a weak field by 10 1/4 lengths. Klarman takes the top two spots in week's rankings and has options with this one. His pedigree leans toward dirt (his dam was a quality dirt runner for Allen and then Jimmy Jerkens a decade ago), but his maternal granddam was a top turf mare in Argentina who could go both ways.