Justify Picks Up Another Graded-Stakes Winner With Buchu In ‘WAYI’ Jessamine

Already a proven winner over the 1 1/16-mile trip, Buchu (Justify) made the jump from maiden winner to graded-stakes winner Friday with an eye-catching come-from-behind performance in the GII Jessamine S. on Keeneland's opening day.

Facing her fifth track in as many starts, the dark bay debuted with a pair of thirds on the dirt–first at Ellis Park June 16 and then to Saratoga in a rained-off event July 30. Sixth once she finally got on the turf in upstate New York Aug. 20, Buchu broke through at 4-1 by a clear 4 3/4 lengths when shipped back to Kentucky under the Twinspires not even two weeks ago Sept. 23.

Showcasing her preferred off-the-pace style again Friday, Buchu, who broke from the middle of the gate, let the majority of the field pass her in the opening furlong and wound up contesting ninth outside of Smooth Waves (English Channel) with only 41-1 shot Moonlight Gambler (Malibu Moon) behind her. Paced upfront by Bella Haze (Flameaway) and Asternia (Astern {Aus}), the field spaced themselves out through an opening quarter in :22.84. Buchu, now in a solo ninth, dropped all the way back to last as she was initially outsprinted into the far turn. Angled out widest of all with a quarter-mile to run, the 5-1 shot unleashed a furious rally inside the final furlong to pass the entire field and win going away by open lengths, crossing the wire with no one even within closing distance of her.

“I think sometimes horses for courses, so maybe riders for horses,” said winning trainer Phil Bauer on his filly's relationship with jockey Martin Garcia. “He really gets a lot of credit for developing this filly. He got her from three-eighths all the way forward and he decided to keep his tack in Kentucky, so when we went to New York, [jockey] Tyler [Gaffalione] jumped aboard. Mother Nature got in our way with the first start and then a troubled trip in the second one up there with Tyler. He didn't do anything wrong, but he was out of town when she ran back and we knew Martin loved her, so he hopped back aboard for her last breeze before her maiden win [at Churchill Downs Sept. 23], and we were confident going into that, as we were a few others, but in racing you need some luck to go with you. I'm just overwhelmed and really happy for Mr. Rigney, now with one that he bred. Cue the Mamas and the Papas, we're 'California Dreamin' .”

Pedigree Note:

A $275,000 RNA out of Keeneland September last year, Buchu was retained by her breeder and became the 19th graded/group winner worldwide for her Triple Crown-winning sire. She is the first foal out of a winning Galileo mare who is herself a daughter of MGSW Naples Bay (Giant's Causeway) and a full-sister to GSW First Minister (Ire). Third dam Cappucino Bay is seen in most pedigrees as the dam of MGISW and perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro (El Prado {Ire}). Flowering Peach reported an Uncle Mo filly this Spring and was covered by Golden Pal for 2024.

Friday, Keeneland
JESSAMINE S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND NOVEMBER-GII, $350,000, Keeneland, 10-6, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.48, gd.
1–BUCHU, 118, f, 2, by Justify
         1st Dam: Flowering Peach (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
         2nd Dam: Naples Bay, by Giant's Causeway
         3rd Dam: Cappucino Bay, by Bailjumper
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($275,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O/B-Rigney Racing, LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer; J-Martin Garcia. $200,725. Lifetime Record: 5-2-0-2, $294,955. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pharoah's Wine, 118, f, 2, American Pharoah–Sweeping Paddy, by Paddy O'Prado. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-William Pacella, Nancy Delony, and Frank Shoop; B-Pacella Racing, Frank L. Jones, Nancy Delony & Frank Shoop (KY); T-Dale L. Romans. $64,750.
3–Crown Imperial, 118, f, 2, Classic Empire–Mi Fiori, by Congrats. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-4 G Racing (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $32,375.
Margins: 3 3/4, NO, NK. Odds: 5.65, 13.87, 8.92.
Also Ran: Bella Haze, Moonlight Gambler, Smooth Waves, Appellate, Abeyance, Time to Dazzle, Toupie, Asternia.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Keeneland Sales To Sponsor Major Filly Stakes From Coast To Coast

Keeneland Sales has become the presenting sponsor of the GI Alabama S. at Saratoga Race Course, and Keeneland November will present the GII Jessamine S. on opening day of the 2023 Fall Meet, the organization said in a release Thursday. This comes on the heels of last week's news that the sales division would lend its name to the GIII Sorrento S. at Del Mar.

“Keeneland is excited to team with NYRA and Del Mar in sponsoring these prestigious summer stakes, and for Keeneland November to sponsor our Jessamine Stakes in the fall,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “This initiative supports our mission to better the industry and aligns our globally important September Yearling Sale and November Breeding Stock Sale with these world-class race tracks.”

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Sabalenka Volleys Trainer to Stakes Debut

Whit Beckman would be the first to admit that his stable did not get off to the remarkably-fast start he had dreamed of when he first set out on his own last fall. Going into this summer, he had just two wins on his training record. But, the pieces have fallen into place in the past two months as Beckman has sent five horses to the winner's circle, including three in just the past two weeks.

Sabalenka (Good Samaritan) leads the charge of recent winners for Beckman and now looks to add to her trainer's success as she makes her stakes debut on Friday in the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. on opening day at Keeneland.

Beckman said the juvenile filly, who was a $35,000 OBS April purchase for Legion Bloodstock, showed potential to be a turf talent from the start. She ran second in her debut at Colonial Downs in August, but followed that effort with a lucrative maiden victory at Kentucky Downs going a mile on the turf.

“That was a really tough race,” Beckman said. “She had to overcome a few things–a wide post, a wide trip, and I think that track in itself can throw a lot of horses for a loop–but ultimately, I thought it was a really professional effort and I was happy with the result. When she first came in she was solid from the get-go, but she has done everything right since then.”

Beckman said that the filly, who was bought out by partner Joe DiRico after that maiden win, is training better than ever in the past few weeks. Sabalenka's efforts in the morning were what encouraged her trainer to take on the GII Jessamine.

Sabalenka (outside) bests Safeen (War Front) in maiden win | Coady

“I don't think I would have even considered [the Jessamine] had I not thought she was going to go into it capable of showing up and putting in a good performance,” he explained. “She came out of that Kentucky Downs race a little more mature mentally. That has been my biggest thing with her. Physically, she's always been right there for us, but there have been some mental things we have had to work out early. With each race, I feel like she's picked up another little piece of it. Right now, what I see in the morning is much different than what I saw prior to the Kentucky Downs race.”

Beckman has plenty of experience working through the quirks and idiosyncrasies each horse might bring with them. The Louisville native is the son of an equine veterinarian and launched his career in the industry working for horseman Walter Bindner. From there, he spent time at Alex Rankin's Upson Downs Farm and then started 2-year-olds under David Scanlon. In between working for trainers Todd Pletcher and Eoin Harty, he spent a year as a head trainer in Saudi Arabia. Most recently, he was an assistant to Chad Brown for several years.

“I sometimes look back in disbelief that I've been able to work with such high-profile horses and be in such well-respected positions for as long as I have been,” Beckman said after zipping through his impressive resume. “I've been around a lot of really good horses and horsemen and it's been an incredible journey to get here. Ultimately this was the goal when I started on the racetrack 20-some years ago. Just to be here in this position, I'm super grateful and I'm enjoying the moment.”

Beckman said that his experience working with elite racehorses under Eclipse Award-winning trainers prepared him for going out on his own.

“I think as far as the training goes, you feel very comfortable knowing that you've seen so many good horses in so many situations and you've seen all of the approaches and adjustments that top-quality trainers are capable of making. I got such a good education and there were so many things I got to witness to give me the comfort I needed to go out and take the reins and confidently move forward.”

While the horsemanship side of the operation came easy for Beckman in those early months, he said the business side proved to require more effort. Finding the right staff, locating adequate stall space and dealing with Kentucky weather throughout the winter were all curve balls that had to be faced head on.

“There are a lot of different things that you can't really be ready for until you face them on your own,” he said. “Everyone has challenges in the beginning with any business, but it's about realizing what is an obstacle to overcome and what is an obstacle to integrate with.”

Based out of Churchill Downs, Beckman started out with just two trainees and now has a roster of 11. With several unraced juveniles looking to make their debuts in the coming months, Beckman hopes that he can continue this hot streak.

Another one of his recent winners, Music Street (Street Sense), will likely make an appearance at the end of the Keeneland meet. The 3-year-old filly owned by Kim Valerio and Prakash Sham Masand broke her maiden at Churchill Downs on Sept. 25.

“It took her a little bit to get rolling, but when she did she really ran a good race,” Beckman recalled. “Her training had reflected that ability prior to the race so I was happy to see her perform in the afternoon as she had been doing in the morning. Following the logical path, we're going to aim for an allowance at the end of the month at Keeneland.”

This Friday, Sabalenka will be Beckman's very first stakes performer. With Jose Ortiz aboard, the juvenile drew the inside post in a full field and will have to face the likes of Mike Maker's Towhead (Malibu Moon), who ran second in a photo finish in the Juvenile Fillies S., as well as a handful of promising last-out maiden winners and several stakes performers, but Beckman is confident in his filly's ability and plans to enjoy the experience of running in a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifier.

“Obviously everyone has the dream of getting into these bigger and better spots,” he said. “From the beginning I knew it would be tough getting going, but now I'm really happy to have a good staff behind me, we're winning some races and the confidence is building. Just to go into this race has been the goal from the get-go and hopefully we continue to build and grow from here.”

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‘Pearl’ Runs Them Off Their Feet in the GII Jessamine

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) repeated her ‘TDN Rising Star’-worthy debut victory with a record-setting success in Keeneland’s GII J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine S., a “Win and You’re In” event for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at this oval Nov. 6.

Running the field off their feet from the start, the 280,000gns TATOCT purchase graduated by five lengths going a mile on the lawn at Churchill Downs Sept. 1. She was hammered down to 3-2 favoritism to repeat in this black-type bow.

Taking up her preferred position at the head of affairs, Aunt Peal was strong on the engine, enjoying a loose lead as she doled out opening splits of :22.28 and :46.65. Turning for home in front under a hand ride from Florent Geroux, the bay was shaken up a bit in the lane and readily responded, effortlessly pulling clear in a new stakes record time of 1:40.86.

“She showed us a lot of talent in the mornings,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “I told someone after the race that that’s the first time we ever cut her loose. She’s very gifted. She’s got a lot of natural speed–:46 and change, carrying speed two turns like that in the second start of her career–she’s obviously very special. It was a big effort.

“I was going faster than I thought,” said winning rider Florent Geroux. “Looking at the fractions, I was like ‘Wow.’ I thought they would be much slower than that. She has short legs, but they move very fast for sure. I’m very impressed with her.”

He continued, “We always loved her from the beginning. We thought she was a very nice filly. I had to make her work a little bit today down the stretch. In her first race, she didn’t get anything out of it. She was pretty much on cruise control the whole time. If we want to be a factor in the Breeders’ Cup, she needed to do a little something today. She was very impressive, and I’m very pleased with her.”

 

Pedigree Notes:

Aunt Pearl is the 41st graded winner and 76th black-type scorer for her sire Lope de Vega. Her dam, Scandinavian champion Matauri Pearl, is a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire}). The 11-year-old mare produced a Sea the Stars (Ire) filly in 2019 and a Lope de Vega colt in 2020. This is also the family of MG!SW Monsun (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}).

Wednesday, Keeneland
JPMORGAN CHASE JESSAMINE S.-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.86, fm.
1–AUNT PEARL (IRE), 118, f, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Matauri Pearl (Ire), by Hurricane Run (Ire)
2nd Dam: Moonrise (Ger), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Morning Queen, by Konigsstuhl (Ger)
TDN Rising Star 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. (280,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber and The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant); B-Ecurie Des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $132,784. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Spanish Loveaffair, 120, f, 2, Karakontie {Jpn}–Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat. ($35,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Hernon and Gary Barber; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-Mark E. Casse. $30,000.
3–Ingrassia, 118, f, 2, Medaglia d’Oro–Infanta Branca, by Henrythenavigator. O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $15,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2 3/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.50, 1.70, 5.50.
Also Ran: Arm Candy, Batyah, Navratilova, Taylor’s Tourist, Momentous Miss, Beautiful Star, Gambling Cat, Lazy Summer Day.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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