April 19, 2016
For some in the Grade III Beaumont field, this was a chance for them to earn enough points to qualify for the Grade I KYO in a few week’s time. For City Bus, this was a chance to build on a budding sprinting career and in the end, her talent shown bright on Sunday and she dominated the seven-furlong event at KEE en route to a front running score. From sire City Of Angels, who has already produced two other stakes winning fillies, she was purchased for only $17.500 back in January but has earned that back and more with three straight wins, including two in stakes, for owner Tiratzo, who was earning their first Graded Stakes score in the process as well.
First And Foremost (4.55) was the slowest off the mark in the Beaumont and took to the back of the pack early while City Bus (*2.65) and Exclusive Ballerina (7.05) were the fastest, rocketing to command down the backstretch despite being very wide. The Hanging Tree (5.25) was able to keep on point through the first fraction of 22.46 and most importantly, get down to the fence, but that also allowed the leaders to angle down into the far turn and that helped them save a little bit of ground. City Bus continued the wall of three up front, with another wall of three behind them and the two closers at the back, and as they traveled around the far turn and past the half-mile in a very quick 45.27, it was clear that Exclusive Ballerina was struggling the most from her wide run. That forced the hand of Wu Wei (6.70), who came around the tiring frontrunner, while You Gotta Believe (112.75) took the inside path, all the while trying to close on a leader who looked very good up front. At the head of the lane, City Bus was in the clear from The Hanging Tree along the rail and the lightly raced filly just kept on going, passing six-furlongs with ease in 1:09.18 before cruising home to victory, 1.5-lengths to the good over a stubborn The Hanging Tree with You Gotta Believe nosing out a stalled Wu Wei for third. Livin On The Edge (16.20) made a minor late run to finish fifth with Sweet Bay Jones (3.10), a lackluster First And Foremost and a dismal Exclusive Ballerina completing the order of finish; all well backed but well back when the real running counted.
Since being purchased for a small price back in January, City Bus now has three straight wins going longer distances in each and might have reached a pinnacle in the Grade III Beaumont with a classy wire-to-wire score. The Grade II Eight Belles is the next logical place for her to run before shipping over to SAR and with races like the Victory Ride, Acorn and Test on the horizon, there are plenty of opportunities for this filly to showcase her seemingly limitless talent.
Congratulations goes out to owner Tiratzo and their three-year-old filly City Bus, a brilliant wire-to-wire winner of the Grade III Beaumont at KEE!
Prediction Exclusive Ballerina / First And Foremost / The Hanging Tree
Winner City Bus
Three-year-old bay filly
City Of Angels-Ski Bus (Raise A Cowboy)
Owner Tiratzo
Time 22.46, 45.27, 1:09.18, 1:21.83
Overall
City Bus *2.65 broke sharp, never headed, clear
The Hanging Tree 5.25 inside run, held second late
You Gotta Believe 112.75 between runners, up for minor share
Wu Wei 6.70 stalled in stretch drive
Livin On The Edge 16.20 midpack throughout
Sweet Bay Jones 3.10 no threat
First And Foremost 4.55 broke slow, never fired
Exclusive Ballerina 7.05 pressed, faded badly
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
