Raymond, Loyalty, Falconet Impress in Maiden Victories

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Oaklawn

Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel celebrated the return to racing for their $1 million investment Raymond  from an eight-month lay off to win a six-furlong maiden test for 3-year-olds April 23 at Oaklawn Park.

The Into Mischief   gelding was bought by Leidel from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he was consigned by Warrendale Sales. Bred by Stonestreet, who later joined Leidel to campaign him, Raymond is out of the grade 2 winner Teen Pauline (by Tapit  ), who finished third in the 2012 Spinaway Stakes (G1).

Sent to trainer Steve Asmussen, Raymond struggled in his Aug. 21 debut at Saratoga Race Course as a 2-year-old. After being bumped at the start and chasing the pace, he finished last in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race on Saratoga's main track.

In Saturday's race, Raymond again had to steady under Isaac Castillo at the start of the race and was shuffled back. He was sixth as a quarter-mile went in :21.72 and fourth as a half-mile went in :45.30. Advancing through the turn, he split horses while three wide, vied for the lead in the stretch, and then drove clear under determined handling to finish two lengths the best in a final time of 1:10.16 on a fast track.

Woodbine

Florida-bred Loyalty  made her entrance to racing a successful one April 24, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight on the Polytrack at Woodbine for owners Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods.

The Hard Spun   filly, trained by Josie Carroll, is a half sister to 2018 champion female sprinter Shamrock Rose, who won that year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1). The siblings are out of the Elusive Quality mare Slew's Quality, who was bought by Best A Luck Farm for $35,000 in 2007. They bred Loyalty in partnership with Godolphin.

Ridden in Sunday's race by Luis Contreras, Loyalty was bumped at the start, but vied with two others for the lead as a quarter-mile went in :23. Loyalty emerged with a half-length lead as a half-mile went in :45.91 and then began to pull away from the others, widening to a three-length lead in the stretch. She wrapped up the distance in 1:09.83 and 3 3/4 lengths in front.

Keeneland

Another with grade 1-winning family ties was second-out winner Falconet , who scored a two-length win in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race for fillies and mares April 21 at Keeneland.

Trained by Todd Pletcher for CHC and WinStar Farm, Falconet debuted March 5 at Gulfstream Park and just missed by a head for runner-up in that seven-furlong test.

Bred by WinStar and appropriately named, the Uncle Mo   filly is out of the Summer Bird  mare Birdatthewire, who counts the 2015 La Brea Stakes (G1) among her victories.

Tyler Gaffalione guided Falconet in Thursday's test, stalking the pace from third as early fractions went in :24.38, :49.73, and 1:14.47 through six furlongs. She improved to second in the stretch, still two lengths behind Fine Cotton , who had led throughout, but she managed to get passed the foe to stop the clock in 1:46.29 on the main track labeled good.

CHC purchased the filly for $250,000 from Machmer Hall Sales at the Keeneland September sale.

The next day, Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred Walkathon  won her fifth start for trainer Ian Wilkes at the Lexington track. The Twirling Candy   filly is out of the graded stakes-winning mare Walkabout (Stroll ).

Walkathon had debuted at Keeneland in the fall but finished last of 10 in that 6 1/2-furlong test. She returned a month later to finish runner-up at Churchill Downs and then moved her tack to Gulfstream where she began her 3-year-old season with a fourth and second-place finish before finding her way to the winner's circle Friday.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Walkathon stalked the pace from fourth and then third, took over near the three-sixteenths pole, and drew off to a two-length score in a final time of 1:44.14 on a fast track.

*Denotes 2-year-old