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Crazy Beautiful Gives McPeek Back-To-Back Gulfstream Park Oaks Triumphs

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Crazy Beautiful rallied from last to score a convincing victory in Saturday's $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), providing trainer Ken McPeek his second straight success in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

The Gulfstream Oaks was one of 10 stakes on Saturday's program that was headlined by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa. The Oaks is a Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying race that offered 170 points on a 100-40-20-10 scale.

Crazy Beautiful earned her way into the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs by following in the hoofprints of McPeek-trained Swiss Skydiver, who captured last year's Gulfstream Oaks winner, who went on to beat the boys in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.

“We were here a year ago. I was really proud of that win,” McPeek said. “Maybe we can accomplish half as much this year.”

Crazy Beautiful, who finished second in the seven-furlong Davona Dale (G2) Feb. 27 in her 2021 debut, was rated in seventh and last as Con Lima, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., set the fractions of 24.16 and 48.69 seconds for the first half-mile while stalked by Bow Wow Girl and Pens Street. Millefeuille bad a bold move between horses leaving the backstretch and pulled alongside a tiring Con Lima on the turn into the homestretch before opening a clear lead at the top of the stretch. Crazy Beautiful, the 2-1 second choice ridden by Jose Ortiz who had steadily advanced into contention, was sent between horses to get a clear run in the stretch and kicked in powerfully to overtake Millefeuille.

“I just wanted to sit there and make sure she got into a good rhythm on the backstretch and she did. I saved some ground on the first turn and I saved some ground on the second turn,” said Ortiz following his third stakes victory of the afternoon. “Kenny told me that she was a nice filly, so I rode her with confidence.”

The daughter of Liam's Map scored by 2 ½ lengths while running 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.41.

“I thought Jose rode her perfect today. He got her in a nice rhythm. I told him, 'Don't be in a hurry. Don't force anything. Get her in a nice rhythm.' He did that,” McPeek said. “She was a little farther back than she's normally been, but she's got a lot of turn of foot.”

Millefeuille finished second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of late-closing Competitive Speed. Con Lima finished fourth.

Crazy Beautiful had a productive 2020 campaign, during which she was graded stakes-placed twice, including a second-place finish behind Simply Ravishing, also a McPeek trainee, in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland. Simply Ravishing, who was nominated to the Gulfstream Park Oaks, is scheduled to prep for the Kentucky Oaks in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland April 3.

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War Like Goddess Up In Final Jump To Beat Always Shopping In Orchid

George Krikorian's English Channel filly War Like Goddess came with a relentless run through the stretch and nailed even-money favorite Always Shopping on the wire for a thrilling nose triumph in Saturday's $100,000 Orchid (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 57th running of the 1 3/8-mile Orchid for fillies and mares 4 and up on turf was the ninth of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million on a blockbuster 14-race program, immediately preceding the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country's premier Triple Crown preps.

War Like Goddess ($13.20), making just her fourth career start, gave Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and jockey Julien Leparoux their third win on the program. Mott also won the Cutler Bay with Annex while Leparoux previously won the Pan American (G2) with Churn N Burn.

Unlike Churn N Burn, who won the Pan American on the front end, Leparoux settled War Like Goddess far back in the Orchid, ahead of only one horse as 18-1 long shot Sister Hanan took the nine-horse field through splits of 23.93 seconds, 48.55 and 1:13.83. While Always Shopping ranged up to take the lead entering the stretch, Leparoux tipped War Like Goddess out to the center of the track to make her run, closing furiously to get up in 2:12.34 over a firm course.

Always Shopping, a graded-stakes winner on dirt and turf, was a tough-luck second attempting to give jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. his Championship Meet-record 137^th victory. Sorrel, racing first time in North America, was third.

Leparoux was winning the Orchid for the first time, while Mott earned his fourth Orchid triumph following Dress Rehearsal (2016), Crockadore (1992) and Gaily Gaily (1989).

$100,000 Orchid (G3) Quotes

Winning trainer Bill Mott (War Like Goddess): “Timing was important there. She just got up in the last jump. I just told [jockey] Julien [Leparoux] to let her get her feet under her and make a run. I kept it simple.”

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux (War Like Goddess): “Just in time. I didn't know if I got it or not at the wire. No matter what happened, she ran good. I'm glad I got the win. She's the kind of filly who comes from behind, so on this track you have to worry about that a little bit, but she had a nice kick at the end so she made it fun.”

“I think he probably needed one last time, but today she felt really good, awake before the race. She was traveling throughout the race the whole time and I was happy where I was. I know I was coming very fast to Irad [Ortiz Jr., aboard Always Shopping], but it was a matter of if I had time or not. She was running very hard at the end. She's a nice filly. She's won three races out of four and I think she can improve.”

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Churn N Burn Wins Stakes Debut, Wiring Pan American Field On Turf

Lothenbach Stables, Inc.'s Churn N Burn, making his just his 10th career start and first in a stakes, was left alone on the lead and had plenty left to turn back all challengers and win Saturday's $200,000 Pan American (G2) presented by Rood & Riddle at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., by 2 ½ lengths.

The 60th running of the 1 ½-mile Pan American for 4-year-olds and up on turf was the sixth of 10 stakes, six graded, worth $1.85 million on a blockbuster 14-race program anchored by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, one of the country's premier Triple Crown preps.

Churn N Burn, a gelded 4-year-old son of multiple Grade 1 dirt winner Liam's Map, gave jockey Julien Leparoux his third career Pan American win, following Sadler's Joy (2017) and Newsdad (2012). Trainer Ian Wilkes previously won the race with Bearpath in 2010.

The winning time was 2:23.63 over a firm course.

Leparoux was able to maneuver Churn N Burn to the lead from outermost Post 8 and settle into comfortable fractions of :24.07, :48.25 and 1:12.55, with 90-1 long shot Angelus Warrior and 8-5 favorite Cross Border in closest pursuit, the latter saving ground inside. Sadler's Joy and jockey Jose Ortiz began to roll on the far outside around the turn to get into a contending position, but Churn N Burn dug in through the lane once set down to earn his second straight win over the Gulfstream turf. Last out, he captured a one-mile optional claimer by 3 ¾ lengths Feb. 11.

Dueling Grounds Derby winner Moon Over Miami, exiting a third in the Mac Diarmida (G2) Feb. 27 at Gulfstream, got up to be second over Cross Border, most recently third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) Jan. 23. Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Sadler's Joy was fourth, with 30-1 long shot Sir Sahib fifth.

Churn N Burn, purchased as a yearling for $255,000 at Saratoga in 2018, has a record of 3-2-2 from 10 lifetime starts. The winner's share of $120,280 nearly doubled his career bankroll to $250,450.

$200,000 Pan American (G2) Presented by Rood & Riddle Quotes

Winning trainer Ian Wilkes (Churn N Burn): “He's got a high cruising speed, and especially on this track, he can carry it a little and run a little quicker and keep on going.”

“I was actually glad no one went with him. He was on his own, so that was good. I was very happy.”

“I'll see how he comes out. We may look at a race at Keeneland; if not, we'll look at something else. First thing, we'll check that he's OK. Enjoy today and then we'll have a look at it.”

“It's good, and it's great for [owner] Bob Lothenbach, too. He puts a lot of money into the game and it's well-deserved.”

Winning jockey Julien Leparoux (Churn N Burn): “That was a nice win. We tried to be on the lead and get him to relax, so we were happy with that. The main thing with him is to start get going before they get to you, so I asked him around the three-eighths pole and he finished up very strong.”

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Ghostzapper Success A First In Graded Stakes For Eye Of A Jedi, Owner/Trainer Budhoo

Owner/trainer Steve Budhoo's Eye of a Jedi, who has beaten his share of graded-stakes winners, ran the race of his life in Saturday's $100,000 Ghostzapper (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., to win the first graded stakes of his career.

The Ghostzapper. a 1 1/8-mile race for older horses, was one of 10 stakes on a 14-race program featuring 10 stakes and headlined by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Already graded stakes-placed twice during the Championship Meet, Eye of a Jedi ($10.40) defeated favored Last Judgment by 5 ½ lengths while running the 1 1/8-miles in 1:48.83 and rewarding Budhoo with his first graded-stakes success.

Ridden for the first time by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the hard-knocking 6-year-old gelding was rated off a hotly contested pace set by Last Judgment and pressed by Superfecto during fractions of 23.60 and 46/43 seconds for the first half-mile. Castellano asked Eye of a Jedi for some run, and the son of Eye of a Leopard advanced steadily on the far turn to enter contention on the turn into the homestretch. Mike Maker-trained Last Judgement continued to show the way at the top of the stretch but proved no match for the fresher legs of Eye of a Jedi, who drew away to a comfortable victory.

Last Judgment, the 6-5 favorite ridden by Jose Ortiz, held second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Superfecto and jockey Tyler Gaffalione.

Eye of the Jedi, who finished second behind Tax in the Dec. 12 Harlan's Holiday (G3) and lost a photo in the Jan. 23 Fred W. Hooper (G3), was coming off a fourth-place finish in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).

Ghostzapper Quotes

Winning Owner/Trainer Steve Budhoo (Eye of a Jedi): “I love to train him for this track, because he loves this track. I had an invitation to go to Dubai for the [Godolphin] Mile, but because of the coronavirus, I said, 'I'll stay here.' I'm happy I did.”

“The good thing is sound. He's a very good horse.”

Winning Jockey Javier Castellano, Eye of a Jedi): “I'm really excited. Steve [Budhoo] is a great guy. He works hard. He's dedicated to every single one of his horses. It's nice to see good things happen for the little people. They make racing. I'm very lucky to ride this horse and win the race.”

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