Photo: Adam Coglianese
Nassau CC Stables’ homebred Beau de Beaupre shone in his stakes debut at Aqueduct on Sunday, chalking up a second straight victory and giving jockey Alan Garcia, winner of the East View for two-year-old fillies aboard longshot Queen’s Harbor earlier on the card, a sweep of Sunday’s New York-bred stakes.
After four attempts to break his maiden in sprints, the stretchout to a mile in his fifth start was the charm for Beau de Beaupre. After he left eight state-bred two year-old rivals eight lengths in his dust at Aqueduct on November 17, trainer Jimmy Jerkens wheeled the dark bay son of Holy Bull back 18 days later to face stakes company in the Damon Runyon. Beau De Beaupre drew post three of seven for the 1 mile 70-yard contest, and at post time was sixth choice in the waging at odds of 10-to-1.
After the break, an eager Never Right Joey got out of the gate first from his inside post, but had company from the start in the form of Beau De Beaupre and Ram. By the time the field exited the first turn and straightened out for the backstretch run, Beau De Beaupre alone was glued to Never Right Joey’s flank. After the pacesetter showed the way for a moderate quarter-mile in 24.36 and a half in 49.93, Beau de Beaupre grabbed a narrow lead at the quarter pole, but was next faced with Artie Luvsto Party, who had stalked throughout, was now threatening on the outside and briefly grabbed the lead. With grim determination, Beau de Beaupre dug in, gutted out the stretch run and managed to finish first with a half-length to spare. Second-time starter Preachintothedevil finished third 1 ½ lengths behind and a neck ahead of favorite Sky Music, winner of the Restrainor stakes on November 18. Deciphering Dreams, Ram, and Never Right Joey completed the order of finish. The final time for 1 mile 70 yards was 1:45.33 over a fast Aqueduct inner track.
Seasoning and greater physical maturity seem to be the keys to the Beau de Beaupre’s improvement in his last two starts. Alan Garcia, riding the colt for the first time on Sunday, said, “Jimmy [Jerkens] has done a great job with this colt. What I wanted to do today was put him in the right position. On the turn, I had to ask him a couple of times – he’s still a little green – but he came through. He’ll only get better.” Jerkens said, “He’s always acted like he could run, but now he seems to be getting stronger. The horse came out of there running, and I was glad to see the other horse [Never Right Joey] take the lead so he had a target.” According to Jerkens, it is likely that we’ll be seeing more of Beau de Beaupre at Aqueduct this winter. “We’ll probably leave him in New York as he seems to like the colder weather.”
Beau de Beaupre, who was foaled at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, is the first foal from six-time winner Cassette Case, a daughter of Mighty Magee (by Cormorant) who earned $151,674. Cassette Case, who was bred in New York by Dr. Jerry Bilinski and Martin Zaretsky, changed hands only once in a public auction, selling as a Saratoga New York preferred yearling in 2003 for $33,000 to Joseph Imperio, her trainer for two seasons. Cassette Case won at distances from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. She has a yearling colt by Utopia, was barren last year, and was bred this past spring to Majestic Warrior.
