Brad Cox will be hard to beat at Keeneland April 7 in the $400,000 Beaumont Stakes (G2) as he sends out a dynamic pair of 3-year-old fillies in the about seven-furlong sprint, drawing both the rail with Denim and Pearls and the outside gate with Youalmosthadme .
Cox is searching for his third straight win in the Beaumont, having won the 2022 edition with future two-time grade 1 winner Matareya and the 2023 edition with Key of Life . Flavien Prat rode both horses and reunites with Cox aboard Denim and Pearls.
Denim and Pearls’ lone start at Keeneland was successful Oct. 21 as she held on to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race by a nose. Moving to Churchill Downs for a one-turn mile allowance race on the Nov. 25 Stars of Tomorrow card, she impressively drew off to win by 3 1/2 lengths.
The daughter of Into Mischief has started her last two races at Oaklawn Park around two turns, finishing second in both the one mile Year’s End Stakes Dec. 31 and the 1 1/16-mile Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 3.
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Owned by Red, White and Blue Racing, Denim and Pearls has earned $212,535 through her four starts and will look to add more when she returns to sprinting.
In addition, Cox will send out Youalmosthadme, who returns from a 4 1/2-month layoff. Easily the most accomplished filly in the field, the daughter of Oxbow won four of six starts as a 2-year-old with a second and a third. Her victories included wins in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes and Fern Creek Stakes at Churchill Downs and the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland.
Youalmosthadme wins the 2023 Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland
This will be Youalmosthadme’s first start in Resolute Racing’s silks after she was privately purchased from the ownership group of Qatar Racing, Swinbank Stables, Steve Askisson, and Black Type Thoroughbreds over the winter. A $12,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, her earnings for the previous group just fell short of a half-million.
The Field
Sandwiched between the Cox starters are four fillies looking to make a name for themselves.
- An eight-time starter, Chi Chi is the most experienced in the field. She won a pair of minor stakes last fall at Remington Park and Gulfstream Park but has been winless in four starts since. Her lone attempt at seven furlongs resulted in a third-place finish in Gulfstream’s Forward Gal Stakes (G3) Feb. 3.
- Vicountess makes her first start on dirt and cuts back to one turn after an attempt at the one-mile Cincinnati Trophy Stakes on the all-weather track at Turfway Park March 1 ended in a 17 3/4-length defeat.
- Harbor Springs was last seen winning a six-furlong Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots allowance in her second start by six lengths Feb. 17.
- Tipsy Tammy finished third March 3 in a Fair Grounds allowance in her first start against winners.
The Beaumont is race 8 with a post time of 4:44 p.m. ET.
Entries: MiddleGround Capital Beaumont S. (G2)
Keeneland, Sunday, April 07, 2024, Race 8
- Grade II
- About 7f
- Dirt
- $400,000
- 3 yo Fillies
- 4:44 PM (local)
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