Marketsegmentation Delivers Strong Victory in Beaugay

Klaravich Stables’ Marketsegmentation made the grade for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown in the May 7 $175,000 Beaugay Stakes (G3T), a 1 1/16-mile Widener turf test for older fillies and mares, at Belmont Park.

Brown, who also saddled runner-up Consumer Spending and fourth-place Veronica Greene , earned his sixth Beaugay triumph after the daughter of American Pharoah stalked close to the pace set by Evvie Jets and pounced to the lead at the stretch call, driving home strongly under Irad Ortiz, Jr. to land the 2 1/2-length victory.

“I’m really proud of this filly,” said Brown. “She’s really come around and I wasn’t sure exactly what way she was going in the winter. She just continued to get better and my team deserves a lot of credit. They’ve been working with this horse and it has been a little bit of a challenge to get there and keep her healthy and mentally put together. They deserve all the credit here. They have her in great form right now. As she’s raced more, she’s put herself in better position in her races.”

Away cleanly from post 3, Marketsegmentation was coaxed by Ortiz to stay close to pacesetter Evvie Jets, who broke sharply from the inside post and was sent to the front of the seven-horse field to mark an opening quarter-mile in :24.06 over the firm footing. Ortiz, Jr. remained patient aboard Marketsegmentation after a half-mile in :48.43 before giving his cue approaching the turn, after which the mare wrested the lead from a tiring Evvie Jets as three-quarters elapsed in 1:11.99.

Marketsegmentation gained a three-length advantage at the stretch call and powered home under urging from Ortiz while her Manny Franco-piloted stablemate Consumer Spending gave a late run down the lane after stalking in fourth. Marketsegmentation arrived at the wire first in a final time of 1:41.25 with Consumer Spending holding onto place honors by a neck over fellow closer Surprisingly .

The Brown-trained Veronica Greene rounded out the superfecta with Contemporary Art , Evvie Jets, and Finest Work completing the order of finish. Kalifornia Queen was scratched.

Marketsegmentation, bred in Kentucky by Marcus Stables, finished a close third in the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes (G3T) in February at Tampa Bay Downs in her graded debut and came into the Beaugay off of a neck win in the Sand Springs Stakes April 1 on turf at Gulfstream Park. She improved her lifetime record to 4-1-1 in six starts with her Beaugay win and banked $96,250 in victory, boosting her total career earnings to $308,730 and returning $5 for a $2 win ticket.