The Grade Three Pocahontas Stakes is on the cards for Crazy Beautiful following her stunning victory on Stakes debut at Ellis Park on Sunday, August 9th.
The Phoenix Thoroughbreds owned filly ran out an eased down near four-length winner in the Debutante Stakes taking her record to two wins in two starts.
Under an imaginative ride from Rafael Bejarano, the daughter of Liam’s Map was a little sluggish from the gates and needed some encouragement to get a position on the rail. Well back in the field, she made stylish progress mid-race. Around the turn, the Kenny McPeek trainee eased into contention but looked to have nowhere to go at the top of the stretch. A quick switch to the inside rail put her in daylight and from there she powered away.
“My horse was much the best in the race,” Bejarano said. “I was in perfect position. Behind horses she was fine. But as soon as you got close to the horses, she kind of got excited, angry because of the first time dirt in her face. Last time she was on the turf. I came out a little bit, but [Extrema] pushed me in and tried to make me look bad. This is going to be a really good horse.”
McPeek added,
“She trained like a good thing from the beginning. I was a little nervous because she hadn’t run on the dirt yet. But it looks like she’s just as good on that as she was on the turf.”
The trainer also went on to confirm the filly will likely hold an additional turf entry in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies.