Saratoga: Beauté Cachée leads all the way to win Ballston Spa

Beauté Cachée led at every point of call to fend off the late rush of stablemate Gina Romantica and capture Thursday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa, a 1 1/16-mile turf route for four older fillies and mares at Saratoga.

Beauté Cachée was one of the three runners for four-time Eclipse Award-winning conditioner Chad Brown, who notched a record-extending eighth Ballston Spa victory as his three fillies finished first through third after a strong stretch drive.

Brown credited the expert handling of jockey Frankie Dettori, who is 3-for-3 aboard the mare, for Beauté Cachée’s newfound ability on the front end, tactics the veteran rider utilized in guiding her to victories in the Jenny Wiley (G1) in April at Keeneland, the Matchmaker (G3) last out on July 20 at Monmouth Park and now the Ballston Spa.

“She ran great. She had been training really, really well. Frankie has really figured her out. I have to give him a lot of credit along with my team who prepared her,” Brown said. “He’s the one who really wanted to put her on the lead at Keeneland and then again down at Monmouth last time out. He said, ‘You know, Chad, I have to tell you, I really do think she is happier there.’ So I listened to him. He had to use her a bit early. I’m proud of her, the way she was able to back the pace down and then still kick in the end and hold off a good filly.”

Beauté Cachée emerged well from post 3 to take command with urging from Dettori to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.76 seconds over the good footing with Delahaye stalking in second. Todd Pletcher-trained Surprisingly and post-time favorite Gina Romantica followed suit.

The running order remained unchanged up the backstretch through a slowed half-mile in 49.54 seconds. Then Delahaye crept closer approaching the turn, and Surprisingly tried to move up the rail. Flavien Prat, aboard Gina Romantica, remained patient in the three path before sending his charge after the top flight in the turn, coming to even terms with their stablemates after three-quarters in 1:15.06.

“I had to use a little bit to get to the front. You know she is a wonderful filly. She knows how to relax as well in front,” Dettori said of the pace. “We showed to the world that she is a real fighter. She doesn’t give up. They all came to take me on, and she shrugged them all off. She has that will to win that is so great. She is clever enough to be able to slow down a little bit, fill her lungs and kick on. She is not a one-dimensional filly. She is very smart.”

Beauté Cachée maintained inside position and inched clear of a resilient Delahaye as the quartet straightened for home, and Gina Romantica appeared to be spinning her wheels a touch in the center of the course. The dual Grade 1 winner got going late and threatened to sweep past inside the final sixteenth, but Beauté Cachée had enough left in reserve to fend off her pursuer and win by a neck with a final time of 1:44.41. Delahaye another half-length back in third.

Surprisingly completed the order of finish. Brown’s fourth entrant Coppice was scratched along with main-track-only entrants Hoosier Philly, Movie Moxy and Amanda’s Folly.

Dettori, who notched his sixth win of the meet, said his mount’s resurgent third-place finish in the Matriarch (G1) under Umberto Rispoli in November was what made him decide to try her on the lead when he rode her successfully for the first time in the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland at odds of 25-1.

“I watched the Matriarch, and she was unlucky. She was stuck for room and kept on kicking on,” Dettori said. “Keeneland, there was not much pace, so I decided to control it from the front. She was a long shot. No one expected her to win like that. Again, when she ran at Monmouth, everyone was against me, and she showed them it was no fluke. Third time again, she just shows you that she has a tremendous will to win. They were all keyed up to come and pass me, but she fended them all off.”

Bred in France by Gregor Vischer and owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Louis Lazzinnaro and Michael Caruso, the Literato gray, who was bought for just $1,775 at the 2020 Arqana Deauville autumn flat-yearling sale. She banked $165,000 in victory to increase her earnings to $891,962 through a 21: 6-5-2 record. She returned $7.10 on a $2 win ticket.

Prat, aboard dual Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica, said the daughter of Into Mischief might have been hindered by the pace.

“We got the race going the first quarter, but then they slowed down a little bit, and it turned into a sprint going home,” Prat said. “I thought my trip was good. I tipped her out when I wanted to, and I think she’s just coming along.

“(More pace) certainly wouldn’t hurt, and the ground has a bit of a cut, and I think she’s better on fast ground. But I think she’s coming along nicely, and hopefully she’ll run a good race next time.”

Brown said it is likely both Beauté Cachée and Gina Romantica will head to Keeneland next for the First Lady (G1) on Oct. 5, a race that Gina Romantica won last year and one Brown has captured seven times, including the last six runnings.