Beverly D (Grade 2)- $500.000 Purse
CNL- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Turf
August 9, 2025

Forty percent of the field in the Beverly D can call themselves a winner, as a mile and three sixteenths was not enough to separate Lille and Lady Hilltopper, as the two of them finish in a dead heat in this five-horse field. The result joins together the longshot on the board, Lille, and the post time favorite and 2024 winner Lady Hilltopper. Lille’s trained by Mo Mentum Farm and was ridden by M E Smith, and it’s the first Beverly D win for each of them. Lady Hilltopper is trained by Black N Gold Stable, and it is his second such win. His winning rider was R Bejarano, his fourth such win. Congratulations to all involved! The time of the win was 1:51.57, the quickest of the three editions of the race that have been run here at CNL. Let’s take a look at it now:

(½ Mile- :47.44)- From the gate, our two co-winners take the top two spots. First, it is the Black N Gold Stable entry Lady Hilltopper with a slight advantage, but Mo Mentum Farm’s Lille is running right with her to her inside. Always Condottieri, from Maletto, also starts well and is within a half-length while on the rail. Ginger Lucy runs right behind this group for The Sidley Stud, and it’s close to three lengths further back to the trailer, Secured Entry (Mb Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.88)- Down the backstretch, Lady Hilltopper and Lille have put away Always Condottieri, as they run side by side with a slight edge to Lady Hilltopper. Always Condottieri remains third, but has lost ground, as has Ginger Lucy in fourth. Secured Entry is still at the back, five lengths from the front.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Moving into the stretch, our two frontrunners have put the rest of the field to bed and ready to decide this between themselves. Whether it would be Lille or Lady Hilltopper at the finish still remained to be seen as they matched one another’s stride still. Further back, Always Condottieri and Ginger Lucy become more distant, and Secured Entry is yet to get involved though does have a nice clear lane on the rail.

(Finish- 1:51.57)- Fans were on the edge of their seat or standing while they waited to see which of these two frontrunners would get the win, as there was no separating them. In the end, they both will, as they hit the wire at the same time, and the dead heat is declared! Secured Entry used the lane that was available for a best of the rest third place while being beaten by four lengths. Ginger Lucy and Always Condottieri are the final two.

About The Winners:
Lady Hilltopper, trained by Black N Gold Stable, and ridden to victory by R Bejarano, is a six-year-old mare by Pinnacle West and is out of P O A. She was bred in Kentucky as a third quarter two-year-old by Our Athletes and was acquired by Black N Gold Stable with a $14.000 claim in February 2022, in what was just her third start. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her sixteenth in 35 starts, and her 14th stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $3,241.580.

Lille, trained by Mo Mentum Farm and ridden to victory by M E Smith is a four-year-old filly by Great State and is out of the late Blue Caviar. She was bred by Smokey Stover as a yearling in California, and was acquired by Mo Mentum Farm, via South Beach Racing, for a $100.000 claim this April. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her eighth in 18 starts, and her third stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $859.280.

Track: Firm
Time: :47²  1:10⁴  1:34¹  1:51²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 5 Paid 51.50, 5 – 2 Paid 42.10
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 5 – 3 Paid 519.10, 5 – 2 – 3 Paid 173.70

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES