Aqueduct: Beautiful Blome brings experience to Ky. Oaks prep
Long shot Beautiful Blome brings the lone stakes win and is tied for the most starts among nine entrants in this weekend’s $125,000 Busanda Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile test for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct.
The Busanda on Saturday at 3:39 p.m. EST awards the top five finishers 20-10-6-4-2 qualifying points toward the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
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Owned by Teresa Haupt and breeder Charles Blanford and trained by Anthony Pecoraro, Beautiful Blome won the one-mile White Clay Creek two starts back on Oct. 9 at Delaware Park. The Blofeld chestnut traveled off the pace around the two-turn, mile configuration before a rail-skimming surge to win by 8 1/4 lengths.
Beautiful Blome exited to run a last-out, distant sixth in listed Tempted, a one-turn mile Nov. 2 at Belmont at the Big A. She traveled last of nine early and had far too much work to do as eventual winner Stunner led through splits of 22.92, 45.87 and 1:10.76 on the fast dirt.
“I think she needs two turns. I don’t think one turn justifies her,” Pecoraro said. “She doesn’t like to be rushed or anything like that. (The Tempted) was too fast for her. It was more like a sprint that race. They went 45. That’s rocking. Those horses were more difficult than this group I’d assume.”
Pecoraro said Beautiful Blome, who is 20-1 on the morning line, has an experience edge through a 6: 2-0-2 record that includes a stakes placing when third in the restricted Small Wonder sprinting six furlongs in September at Delaware Park.
“I think you’ll get a couple of horses in here that just broke their maiden who will be on or close to the lead. My horse has a little seasoning in her,” Pecoraro said. “She comes from behind. If it sets up for her, it’ll be perfect.”
Pecoraro believes the stretch to 1 1/8 miles is more ideal than the one-turn mile for Beautiful Blome.
“That wasn’t her thing at all. She’s had a couple of months off and is nice and fresh. I just hope she is good enough, that’s all,” Pecoraro said. “She’s slowly getting better each time she runs if you watch and look at her numbers. We’ll see.”
Bred in Maryland by Blanford, Beautiful Blome is out of winning After Market mare Best Mom Ever. Eric Cancel has the call from post 2.