Five Fastest Maidens Presented by Taylor Made: Which Bob Baffert Runner Was It?

5. TRUE PASSION, CD, 5/11, 6 furlongs
Beyer Speed Figure: 84
Video Replay
(f, 3, Audible–Fortune Pearl, by Mineshaft)
O-Norman Stables LLC, B-SF Bloodstock LLC & Hartwell Farm Inc (Ky), T-Lonnie Briley, J-Corey Lanerie.
Look who cracks this week's top five: Lonnie Briley! The sharp third-out 7 1/2-length MSW winner also races for Robbie Norman, owner of Coal Battle. Briley picked out the 3-year-old filly for $50,000 at OBS last June. She's the first foal to race from Fortune Pearl, 2015's GII Delaware Oaks winner who was third in the GII Black-Eyed Susan and a decent fourth in the GI Alabama Stakes. Side note–Briley helped launch the career of winning jockey Corey Lanerie back in the day in Louisiana.

4. GUY SMILEY, CD, 5/8, 5 furlongs (turf)
Beyer Speed Figure: 85
Video Replay
(c, 3, Hootenanny–Different Dreams (Fr), by Sea the Stars (Ire).
O/B/T-Wesley Ward, J-Walter Rodriguez.
The only thing trainer Wesley Ward didn't do was ride him… he raced the sire and bred the colt out of an unraced mare of Aga Khan lineage. After a routing third at Turfway behind Kentucky Derby fourth Final Gambit, Ward cut him back to this turf sprint and he overcame some early bumping to make up about four lengths in the final quarter. And yes, Ward's youngest son was a Sesame Street fan back in the day.

Guy Smiley and Walter Rodriguez win on the turf for trainer Wesley Ward 😃 pic.twitter.com/3aznCEIwbY

— Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 8, 2025

3. CHEEVER, SA, 5/10, 6 1/2 furlongs (3rd)
Beyer Speed Figure: 92
Video Replay
(c, 3, Into Mischief–Electric Forest, by Curlin)
O-Muir Hut Stables LLC, B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky), T-Mark Glatt, J-Antonio Fresu.
It was quite the career debut for this pinhooked $700,000 OBS purchase last March. He tracked the leaders and finished with good energy to take third behind a Bob Baffert duo in outstanding time. As expected from the Stonestreet brand, the female family is solid, including the GIII Doubledogdare-winning dam.

2. SIERRA SILVER, SA, 5/10, 6 1/2 furlongs (2nd)
Beyer Speed Figure: 95
Video Replay
(c, 3, Game Winner–Promise Me Silver, by Silver City)
O-Golden Bear Racing, B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY), T-Bob Baffert, J-Juan Hernandez.
As runner-up from a “key” race that has produced four next-out winners (including Preakness entrant Goal Oriented), he was favored at 9-10 but couldn't get to his Baffert stablemate despite repeated runs through the stretch. With this kind of Beyer, though, there's no disgrace in finishing second. Dam Promise Me Silver began her racing career with an eight-race win streak culminating with the GIII Eight Belles, finished 10-for-14, and was later added to the Bromans' broodmare band for $325,000.

1. SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN, SA, 5/10, 6 1/2 furlongs (1st)
Beyer Speed Figure: 98
Video Replay
(c, 3, Mitole–Midnight Magic, by Midnite Lute)
O-Speedway Stables LLC, B-Carolin Von Rosenberg DVM (FL), T-Bob Baffert, J-Drayden Van Dyke.
Yes, the three fastest maidens all came out of the same ultra-fast Saturday race at Santa Anita–6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.98–topped by two Bafferts and two Glatts. The “other” Baffert horse has been a handicapping angle for decades, perhaps most famously in the 1998 Kentucky Derby with Real Quiet and favored Indian Charlie. Nysos was actually a higher price than two other Baffert maidens in his debut. This $725,000 OBS March 2-year-old buy hadn't wowed clockers and was second choice behind stablemate Sierra Silver, but dashed right to the front and was never headed.