DRF Article on Hey Byrn
Hey Byrn exceeds expectations
By MIKE WELSCH
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Sunday's featured ninth race was supposed to be a step along the Kentucky Derby trail for a pair of promising 3-year-olds, recent maiden winners Bordeaux Bandit and Jockey Ridge. Instead, the first-level allowance race turned out to be a showcase for the Calder-based Hey Byrn, who overwhelmed the favorites en route to an eye-catching 14 1/2-length victory.
The fact that Hey Byrn won the race did not surprise his trainer, Eddie Plesa Jr., in the least, though he admitted that he did not expect that type of performance.
"I've always loved this horse, but I had to stop on him in September after he would end up getting an infected tooth, of all things," Plesa said.
Hey Byrn started four times at 2, all at his home base at Calder, winning his maiden at second asking and finishing second behind Calder division leader Wise Answer in his stakes debut in the Affirmed Division of the Florida Stallion series. Hey Byrn concluded his juvenile campaign finishing fourth, again behind Wise Answer, in the mile-and-70-yard Foolish Pleasure Stakes, a race that yielded three next-out stakes winners.
"He was training very well for this race but was still about a half a work away from where I really wanted him," Plesa said. "Then we catch two horses who were running fives on the Ragozin Sheets, and looked like they could be anything. My horse went in off a 12."
But Hey Byrn proved that the figs don't always matter. With jockey Edgar Prado, coming off career win No. 6,000 an hour earlier, sitting patiently, Hey Byrn tracked the early leaders early. He moved readily to command three wide approaching the stretch and readily increased his advantage over Bordeaux Bandit, who gave chase through the final quarter-mile. Hey Byrn earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97 for the race.
Plesa, who trains the son of Put It Back for longtime owner Bea Oxenberg, said he is uncertain of what will be next for Hey Byrn.
"The phone has been ringing off the hook since he won, and we've already received a couple of substantial offers," Plesa said Monday. "Bea's not really motivated to sell her horses, but we'll listen. She's also not much on traveling, so we'll probably run him back at Gulfstream. The Fountain of Youth comes up too quick, so we might just wait for the Florida Derby."
The Fountain of Youth is on Feb. 24, and the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 29.
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