by Pete Denk

The Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training annually features some of the fastest two-year-olds in the country.

If any of the three horses consigned by Niall Brennan Stables on behalf of Drew Rayman’s Rayzin the Bar Stables belong in that upper echelon of speed, the clock will not show it.

While the rest of the horses at Friday’s under-tack show will be gunning for 10-second eighths and strong gallop-out times, Rayman’s three horses will gallop at a two-minute lick with no whipping.

It is part of an experiment in which some of Rayman’s pinhook prospects will not be pushed hard to produce fast times. Rayman also has four horses with Hoby and Layna Kight, and they will work in the traditional manner.

“I am a pinhooker, so I don’t want this to come off as an affront to the pinhooking game,” Rayman said. “I want this to be an opportunity to bring different types of pedigrees and more classic horses to the two-year-old sales. We’re trying to broaden the market. There are a lot of horses this approach will be good for.”

The three horses that will gallop are a Smarty Jones filly out of Must Be a Lady, a full sister to Grade 3 winner Must Be War and stakes winner Warleigh; a More Than Ready filly out of Since Time Began, dam of Grade 3 winner Victorina; and a Menifee colt out of Champagne Forever.

Rayzin the Bar paid $150,000, $170,000, and $97,000, respectively, for them as yearlings. Trainers Ken McPeek and John Kimmel have been involved in selecting Rayman’s horses.

“Is this a good idea from Drew’s investment standpoint? I don’t know. But he’s willing to do this for two or three years, and he’s putting up his own money,” Brennan said. “These horses were bought with the idea that he will race them if they don’t sell, and they’re being brought along with their future as racehorses foremost on our minds.”

Brennan points out that buyers pay millions of dollars for yearlings based on physical inspections and watching them walk. Being able to watch a horse gallop should be viewed as another valuable piece to the puzzle.

“We’re buying the same horses, watching them walk up and down at the yearling sales,” Brennan said. “Why do we need a clock to show us a good horse? If you saw them gallop and they looked good doing it and you like what they look like at the barn, why would you not buy them? That’s Drew’s position. We’ll find out if it works.”

Rayman runs an Internet business and lives in Westchester, New York. He has been pinhooking since 2004, when he bought a Forestry filly out of Playcaller, by Saratoga Six, for $120,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

The filly—now known as Diplomat Lady—resold for $400,000 at the 2005 Calder sale, with the Kights consigning, as agent. Diplomat Lady went on to win the Hollywood Starlet (G1) and Stonerside Beaumont (G2) Stakes.

Rayman also was involved in the partnership that sold Grade 3 winner The Leopard for $2.5-million at last year’s Calder sale. Hoby Kight bought the Storm Cat colt for $1-million at the 2006 Keeneland September sale.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times