Fancy Dress Party wins Beaumont Stakes, remains unbeaten
Fancy Dress Party, off at 5-2 odds, went gate to wire Sunday over a sloppy track, holding off the Bob Baffert shipper Mother Mother to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaumont Stakes.
“I thought No. 2 (Mother Mother) was the speed. But (Fancy Dress Party) broke so clean and so well, we stayed there (on the lead) and we took it," said jockey Luis Saez. "She was very comfortable. I felt like I had a lot of horse, and when we got to the stretch, she just kept going.”
The daughter of Munnings finished the seven-furlong run in a final time of 1:28.18, clearing the surging Mother Mother from the inside rail by a neck.
“I could see (my filly getting the early lead), but the horses you expected to be the speed didn’t really break well and looked like they might have been fighting the race track," said the trainer. "(Fancy Dress Party) was going so smooth and within herself that I was happy we were on the lead."
Trained by Ben Colebrook, Fancy Dress Party is now undefeated in four career
starts.
“I thought ‘well she’s doing it’ and looks to be running them off their feet," he continued. "It wasn’t the game plan, but credit to Luis for going with Plan B. I think if he takes her back, we don’t win the race. It was an amazing ride.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, The Mackem Bullet covered the mile on a turf course rated as soft in 1:39.31.
An Irish-bred daughter of Society Rock out of the Trade Fair mare Elkmait, The Mackem Bullet remained in the U.S. with Ward after finishing sixth in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs for her European trainer, Brian Ellison.
“When Brian sent her to me," Ward said, "the idea was to go back to the (English One Thousand) Guineas (G1), so we’ll have to see what they want to do. I’m lucky they chose me to train her.”
Sunday's victory was worth $120,000 and increased her earnings to $305,358 with a record of 10: 3-2-2.
Catch a Thrill led the field of 11 through fractions of :24.14, :49.21 and 1:14.72 with The Mackem Bullet in closest pursuit. Once in the stretch, The Mackem Bullet shot past and had more than enough left to hold off Regal Glory.
The Mackem Bullet returned $15.20, $6.80 and $4.60. Regal Glory, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $4.60 and $3.20 with Princesa Carolina finishing another 2¼ lengths back in third under Brian Hernandez Jr. and paying $4.40 to show.