NYRA/Coglianese Photo
By Sarah Mace
Maiden Beauty (Revolutionary) did a terrific job of marketing herself by name on Belmont Park’s closing day when she broke her maiden at first asking in the featured $100,000 Lynbrook Stakes for New York-bred juvenile fillies.
The 6-furlong Lynbrook attracted an eclectic field of nine. There were three first-out winners (Icy Lady, Native Dawn, Positively Jean), three maiden second-time starters (Midnitesalright, Princess Pinky, She’s Trouble) and three first-time starters (Maiden Beauty, Sander’s Empire, Tossup).
The betting was wide open, with the bulk of the money going to horses with experience along with the pricey Rick Violette first-time starter Tossup. Another X-factor in the whole equation for these youngsters was the track condition, which was “muddy (sealed)” at post time.
Let go at odds of 22-1 while breaking from post three under Joel Rosario, Maiden Beauty raced in mid-pack in the two-path along the backstretch, four-plus lengths behind pacesetter Native Dawn, who carved out a first quarter in 22.88 Midnitesalright stalked 1 1/2 lengths back in second.
Navigating the far turn in the two-path, Maiden Beauty angled out further for clear running in upper stretch. Meanwhile the two front-runners had hooked up in the bend and were joined on the outside by Tossup.
In mid-stretch Tossup poked a head in front, but Maiden Beauty found another gear. Charging toward the finish between horses, she surged past Tossup and rail runner Midnitesalright, and outkicked She’s Trouble, who launched a good late bid from the back of the pack.
Maiden Beauty went on to secure the victory by a convincing 3 1/4 lengths in a final time of 1:13.41, paying a healthy $47.60 to win. Maiden Beauty left an additional mark with her victory as the first winner and first stakes winner for her freshman sire Revolutionary.
Tossup and Midnitesalright finished heads apart in second and third. She’s Troubled completed the superfecta, followed across the line by Icy Lady, Native Dawn, Princess Pinky and Positively Jean, who broke her maiden on turf at first asking. [VIDEO REPLAY]
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
“It was a beautiful trip,” said Rosario. “I was on the inside a little bit and was just looking for room to go outside. She was a first-time starter but very professional. She finished very strong and it looks like she can go a bit further. I was very pleased with how she ran today.”
Gary Contessa, who trains the bay filly for owners Pines Stables, John J. Irwin, Paul Zysset and Sam F. Arci, clearly had Maiden Beauty well prepared for her unveiling. There are a good series of regularly-spaced published Belmont works dating back to May 21.
Said Contessa “She’s been training really well. Yesterday, we ran a horse called Red Zinger, who had a really green trip and ran third [in the Rockville Centre], and [Maiden Beauty] has been beating him pretty good, so I knew she was a hair better than him, so I thought we had a shot today.”
Contessa also felt he had another factor in his corner with the rider. “Joel [Rosario] happened to be available and it’s a big advantage to have him.”
Bred by Sandy Glens Stables LLC and foaled at Stonegate Stables in Fort Edward, Maiden Beauty, now a $60,000-earner, is the second starter and first winner out the young mare Alpha Charlie, an unplaced Kentucky-bred daughter of Eddington. She has been bred back twice to Revolutionary resulting in a pair of fillies this year and last.
A $15,000 purchase as a weanling by Cicada Stable at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton New York Fall Mixed sale in Saratoga, Maiden Beauty was purchased by Pines Stable for $40,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in April. The filly’s second dam is a multiple stakes-placed runner and third dam Lusty Lady is a stakes winner, graded stakes performer and stakes producer.
