Pedigree Profile: Byrama (GB)

Coming into this year, Byrama (GB) was a nice stakes horse that was extremely competitive on the grass at a mile or less. Her two main wins were in listed stakes, the Manhattan Beach and the Unzip Me, at 6 and 6.5 furlongs respectively. She also made good runs in the G3-Senator Ken Maddy (6.5f downhill turf) where she finished 3^rd and the G3-Senorita (1m Hollywood Park Turf) with a good 3^rd as well. Her best graded stakes showing though was one of her first as a 3 year old in the G3-Providencia. Contested at 9 panels at Santa Anita on the paved highway commonly referred to as "grass" at Santa Anita (I kid, I kid), Byrama finished a game second to burgeoning star Lady of Shamrock (Scat Daddy). But the connections immediately moved her back to sprint distances again.

But this year, after turning 4, the daughter of Byron (GB) has shown a fiercer competitive spirit once she was moved onto the dirt and the all-weather and stretched out to 9 furlongs. The Simon Callaghan trainee started out 2013 with 5 starts, all stakes, at a mile or less. As before, she was always game, but never a winner. She finished 2^nd by a neck to Last Full Measure (Empire Maker) in the G1-Madison after coming from the clouds but failing to get the jump on the winner in the stretch.

Then came the G1-Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park. Sent off as the 5^th favorite of 6, Byrama (and I'm dispensing with the GB from now on) closely stalked the long shot leader and stormed to the front to win by open lengths. The half only came in at 47 and change, but she never even gave the field a shot the way she took over the race when the field entered the stretch. An impressive Grade 1 win for sure.

But what has taken me aback about this filly time and time again (and admittedly, I've backed her time and time again while still raising this question so not sure what that says about me...) is WHY DOESN'T SHE RUN LONG ALL THE TIME?!? Her best efforts in graded company have both come at over a mile. And while her sire's genetic influence don't typically support a router, I'm pretty sure she's gotten a healthy dose of liking a classic distance from her broodmare sire.

Byrama (GB) by Byron (GB) out of the Darshaan (GB) mare Aymara (GB)

Now before I delve into the female family, I'll say this: it's not worth deeply delving into. Aymara has only one other foal that is of any note, a 2008 gelding by Exceed and Excel (AUS) named Klammer (GB) who is a graded stakes winner of $536,000. He won the 2010 edition of the Group 3 John Smith's Extra Smooth Horris Hill Stakes at Newberry and notched a good second to Frankel (who I hear was pretty good) in the Group 2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge stakes at Royal Ascot in the same year. He has also won a listed stakes at Deauville. He currently races in Hong Kong under the name Elegance Klammer where he has notched 3 wins at the 3rd class handicap level.

But other than him, and don't get me wrong Klammer is a really nice gelding, there's not a lot. Chipaya (GB) was a nice allowance race mare here in the States, and was even Group 3 placed in Italy, but has no production other than Aymara. I can't find a lot else, other than Winker Watson, a winner of two Group 2s as a juvenile, the Norfolk and the TNT July Stakes, who is out of a half sister to Chipaya.

What I really want to talk about is the distance influence of her sire versus her damsire. Byron (GB) was a smart sprinter and was good at distances up to a mile. His progeny are best at around 7f. However, he is not a top notch producer of high quality runners. His stud fee is currently listed as private, but was last published at a lowly €2,500. So with his influence, it makes sense to assume Byrama might like a shorter run. But after seeing her best race come at 9f, I can't understand immediately moving her back to 7f and less.

What boggles my mind is how the connections didn't see that she liked running a route when she put up the big performance in the Providencia. It's clear now that the influence of Darshaan (GB) is significant in this filly. Darshaan stood for IRG 50,000 (a currency I can only guess at being Irish Guineas?) before his death in 2001. Granted, the stud price has to be taken with a block of salt, seeing that it was before the Great Crash, but 50,000 whatevers is an indication of a desirable sire. Known for getting his best runners at around 12 furlongs, Darshaan was a good, but not great sire who was more than useful at stud. Clearly, his influence is felt here with Byrama.

Now I cannot even begin to claim knowing as much about this filly as do the connections, any such statement would be foolhardy. But simply by looking at the PPs, it seems so painfully obvious that she's suited to a classic distance versus a sprint. Once she popped that really good effort in the Providencia, you would think they would have continued to seek races with similar conditions. Let's hope the win in the Vanity offers the incentive that Simon Callaghan and Eclipse Thoroughbreds need to keep her stretched out.

But then again, maybe it was just Gary Stevens up that made all the difference. It wouldn't be the first time, that's for sure.

More from And Down The Stretch They Come:

• Pedigree Profile: 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb
• Pedigree Profile: 2013 Preakness winner Oxbow
• Pedigree Profile: 2013 Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice
• Stallion Profile: Kitten’s Joy
• Stallion Profile: Midnight Lute