The Beaugay (Grade 3)- $200.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
May 9, 2020
The betting public could not decide on a real clear favorite for the Beaugay, with no horse having odds better then 4/1, and only once worse then 10/1. The field was wide open, and it would be a hotly contested race, resulting in a photo finish at the wire. In that photo, it would be the Smokey Stover celebrating the victory in the 11th running of this event with Holualoa as she takes home her first career graded stake. For both Smokey Stover, and jockey J Lezcano, it is their first win in the race. Congratulations to them! The race was won in a time of 1:40.16, which is about the same as last year’s winning time, and in line with most past winning times when the conditions were identical. Let’s take a look at it!
(1/4 Mile- :23.09)- The quickest two horses out of the starting gate come from the outer most post positions. This time, it’s the race’s biggest longshot, Nolespan Racing’s Coastal Flower, taking change while never being able to get inside before they hit the top of the backstretch. Beside her, it’s her neighbor from the starting gate, Bonne Happy, from Crocker Ggs. Neither of them move over as quickly as they could, because also starting well from the middle of the gate was Command Stroke, out of D J C Racing Stables, and she is a length back as she eventually moves to the rail. Speak Of The Devil is nearby here for TwinTowersRacing. It’s one more length back to a group of three wide runners, and it is here that we find our eventual race winner, Smokey Stover’s Holualoa. She is in the middle of this group, with Absolute Bella (Luz International) on her inside, and Because (Mb Stables) on her outside. It’s a gap of two more lengths to Bewitching (Winning Link Stables) and Broken Nail (Aer Stables), and two more to the trailer, Bach In Tune (Threshold), an expected closer.
(½ Mile- :45.95)- While there is no rush to get to the inside on the backstretch, I was still surprised by how long it took Bonne Happy to decide to do that. Once she did, Coastal Flower, who was a half length in front of her, was able to do that as well. It doesn’t mean much in the big picture, but they would have had adequate clearance on Speak Of The Devil to have done that earlier. Speak Of The Devil and Command Stoke are running even for third but with some separation between them for others to take advantage of if they chose to do so. Because began to do this as they approached the turn, and Holualoa would soon follow that lead. Those two were about three lengths from the lead. Absolute Bella looks stuck on the rail at this point, and Broken Nail starts to show a little more interest at the top of the turn. Bewitching maintains her pace, but could be about to move, while Bach In Tune still waits for her time to strike.
(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Early on in the turn, Coastal Flower begins to look very good, putting away Bonne Happy, and it began to look like, for a moment, that she was about to open up on everyone. Closer to the exit of the turn, we saw the new contenders emerge, and the big one would be Holualoa. She would come thundering through the opening between Command Stroke and Because, and quickly made up ground. Command Stroke stayed with her, so at the top of the stretch, these two were side by side and within a length or so from the big longshot at the front. Bonne Happy was still fourth, but in jeopardy of losing several spots as they were lining up to her outside in a five wide fashion. Further back was Bach In Tune, having to swing well wide, and at this point it was clear that she was racing for fourth, at best.
(Finish- 1:40.16)- Command Stroke still had a neck in front of Holualoa as they began running in the stretch. Coastal Flower didn’t give up, but did not have the same gear as the top two did at this point, and could not keep them behind her. A good battle ensued between Command Stroke and Holualoa, but as the finish line got bigger, it would be Holualoa outkicking her rival just enough to get the win in a very close photo. Coastal Flower hung in there to light up the trifecta, and was only beaten by half a length. Bewitching and Broken Nail, two horses that were moving late in the stretch would be close for the fourth place check, but the nod there goes to Bewitching. Bach In Tune started running too late, and is only sixth, a spot ahead of Because, who came up empty in the stretch. Rounding out the order, it’s Bonne Happy, Absolute Bella, and Speak Of The Devil.
About The Winner- Holualoa, trained by Smokey Stover, and ridden to victory by J Lezcano, is a four year old filly by Grandeur, and is out of Lost Soul. She was bred in Ontario by Smokey Stover as a third quarter two year old, and they have been together throughout. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in 13 starts, her second stake win, and her first graded win. Her career earnings are now $364.810.
Track: Firm
Time: :23 :454 1:091 1:40
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 2 – 5 Paid 91.30
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 5 – 10 Paid 1,344.80
Scratched: None
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
