When Horologist vies to defend her title in Sunday's $250,000 Grade 2 Beldame at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., owner Cameron Beatty of There's A Chance Stable is reminded that everything happens for a reason.
A native of Nashville now living in New Jersey, Beatty was indirectly introduced to horseracing through unfavorable circumstances. Beatty was the starting quarterback of Freehold Township High School and was slated to take his athletic talents to Farleigh Dickinson via academic scholarship when a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his life.
Beatty would eventually sign up to play semi-professional football for the New Jersey Bulldogs where he met coach Don Goold, a racing enthusiast and friend to the late thoroughbred trainer John Mazza.
“After practice one day, he asked me if I wanted to go to the track. He took me to Monmouth Park (in Oceanport, N.J.) and just from the front side I fell in love,” Beatty said. “I just loved the atmosphere. As if that wasn't good enough, he asked me if I'd ever been to the backside. And I said, 'The backside of what?'”
A visit to the Monmouth stable area allowed Beatty to develop a strong friendship with Mazza.
“It was a match made in heaven,” Beatty said. “You never would think an 80-year-old guy could be such a good friend with a guy in his mid-20s.”
Mazza, who passed away last May, took Beatty under his wing and taught him all the ins and outs of the business. When Mazza's longtime clients Holly Crest Farm began dispersing some of their stock, it gave Beatty the opportunity to step into thoroughbred ownership.
“He said the right way to do it is to get into breeding first to experience it on a different level, starting with one horse and see where it takes you from there,” Beatty said. “So, I took over a horse that couldn't race anymore.”
Beatty acquired Cinderella Time, a Stephen Got Even mare with one win in eight starts, and bred her to Gemologist and the end result of the mating was Horologist.
“Me and John literally pulled her right out of her mom and watched her be born,” Beatty said. “I watched her come right out and take her first steps about 20 minutes after she was born.”
Mazza trained Horologist through her first 11 starts, including 2019 stakes victories in Monmouth's Smart N Classy Handicap and Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks.
Following a third in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx that year, Beatty sold shares of Horologist to Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, and Parkland Thoroughbreds, and the mare was transferred to West Coast-based conditioner Richard Baltas. Later on, Paradise Farms Corp and David Staudacher also bought in on Horologist.
“I couldn't have asked for better partners. They have taken things to a different level,” Beatty said.
After five starts with Baltas, Horologist found a new home with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who saddled the mare to graded stakes victories in last year's Beldame as well as the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher last July at Monmouth. Between those two starts, she earned Grade 1 black type when finishing third in the La Troienne last September at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
“The good part about it is I had good people around me. John Mazza showed me everything I really know,” Beatty said. “One good thing that John did before he passed away was introduce me to people like [bloodstock agent] David Ingordo, and [trainer] Cherie DeVaux and that's something I have to thank him for.
“Some owners never get this opportunity. I've been extremely lucky in this business so far,” Beatty continued. “Bing Bush [Abbondanza Racing] is probably one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Steve and Debbie West with Parkland Thoroughbreds are just extremely genuine people. They invite me to their house in Saratoga. There are so many great people to be involved with, and if it weren't for Horologist I wouldn't be in this situation.”
Horologist arrives at the Beldame off a gate-to-wire win in the restricted Summer Colony on August 22, contested at nine furlongs over a good and sealed main track at Saratoga.
A victory in the Beldame would likely result in another start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6 at Del Mar. Horologist was a distant ninth last year when the event was held at Keeneland. A victory would also provide Beatty, who turns 30 on October 16, an additional reason to celebrate.
“A win would be an amazing early birthday present,” Beatty said.
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