A field of seven sophomore fillies who made their most recent starts in Florida, New York, Kentucky and Louisiana converge at Keeneland for Sunday's GIII Beaumont S. Godolphin's Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile) was second in last November's Fern Creek S. at Churchill Downs to the now five-for-six Marissa's Lady (Violence) and then completed the exacta (albeit 8 1/4 lengths back) behind leading GI Kentucky Oaks candidate Secret Oath (Arrogate) in a one-mile Oaklawn allowance on New Year's Eve. She most recently shortened back up to a sprint to air in a Fair Grounds optional claimer Feb. 26, good for a field's best 91 Beyer Speed Figure. Third that day was re-opposing Reagan's Decision (Unified).
On the opposite end of the speed figure spectrum is Gina Romantica (Into Mischief), who earned just a 64 Beyer for her successful Tampa unveiling Mar. 12. That number fails to tell the whole story, however. A $1,025,000 KEESEP purchase by Peter Brant and conditioned by Chad Brown, the half-sister to GISW Gift Box (Twirling Candy) and MGSWs Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast) and Special Forces (Candy Ride {Arg}) was very visually impressive rallying wide on the Tampa Bay Derby undercard and justifying 9-10 favoritism by 1 1/4 lengths.
Heading up the last-seen-at-Aqueduct contingent are Lady Scarlet (Union Rags) and Radio Days (Gun Runner). The former was a gutsy $150,000 claim by trainer Mike Maker, Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher off of Matareya's conditioner Brad Cox out of a maiden-breaking effort at Churchill in November. She took an Oaklawn optional claimer two starts later Feb. 26, and added the Big A's Cicada S. by open lengths Mar. 19.
Joe Allen, Peter Brant's cousin, also gets in on the action with $750,000 September pick-up Radio Days. The dark bay at one point looked like Shug McGaughey's top GI Kentucky Oaks hopeful off a two-for-two start to her career, including a Dec. 2 Aqueduct optional claiming romp that earned her 'TDN Rising Star' status. Second at odds-on in the GIII Forward Gal S. at Gulfstream going this distance Feb. 5, she cuts back after fading to fourth at 1-2 in the mile-long Busher S. back in Ozone Park Mar. 5.
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