Beau Recall Seeks First Grade 1 Victory in Rodeo Drive

Since being imported to the U.S. from Europe, Beau Recall has been a top-performing grass mare over short route distances, winning five stakes, three of them graded, from a mile to 1 1/16 miles.

Now a new challenge awaits, an attempt to win over 1 1/4 miles, a test that comes Sept. 28 in the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. Win it and she will notch her first grade 1 victory and become a millionaire. 

A victory could also lead to increased opportunity. With the Rodeo Drive part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the winner is assured a free berth in the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Nov. 2, another 1 1/4-mile race at Santa Anita.

Though unplaced in three starts at the Rodeo Drive distance, those losses for Beau Recall came in difficult company. She ran sixth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) and fifth in the American Oaks (G1T) at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old in 2017 and was fourth in last year's Rodeo Drive. She was beaten less than four lengths in each outing.

She has been more effective in shorter races, rallying from behind the faster pace that typically develops. But she showed the ability to quicken behind leisurely splits of :48.02 and 1:12.09 in winning the 1 1/16-mile Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar in her most recent outing, edging Storm the Hill and Vasilika in a tight finish to score by a nose.

Neither is back in the Rodeo Drive, leaving her matched against only five foes, of whom only Elysea's World is a graded winner this year.

Drayden Van Dyke, aboard in the Yellow Ribbon, returns in the irons Saturday and will be tasked with timing her move in a race that has only one apparent frontrunner: Mirth, a former maiden $16,000 claimer who placed in the Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita in June.

A 5-year-old daughter of Sir Prancealot  out of the Great Commotion mare Greta d'Argent, Beau Recall races for owners Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing. Trained by Brad Cox since late 2018, she has made $990,512 over her 24-race career.

Elysea's World and Paved appear her main adversaries, though both are also late runners that could be disadvantaged by the limited speed in the Rodeo Drive. Both exit the Aug. 31 John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar, where Paved ran fourth and Elysea's World sixth.

Paved, a 4-year-old Quality Road  filly, makes just her third start of the year. Prior to the Mabee, she was third in the restricted Osunitas Stakes July 19 at Del Mar in her first start in nearly seven months.

Trainer Michael McCarthy likes her preparation following those two races, optimistic she can return to her peak form last fall when second in the Rodeo Drive, a few lengths ahead of Beau Recall. "Right now, I don't think I could ask her to be doing any better," he said.

Paved won twice on the Santa Anita grass course last year—in a maiden race in January and the Honeymoon Stakes (G2T) in June.

Rounding out the Rodeo Drive lineup are Siberian Iris, a neck winner of the Aug. 16 CTT and TOC Stakes at Del Mar going 1 3/8 miles, and Excellent Sunset, who was second in an Aug. 30 allowance at Del Mar after concluding 2018 with a runner-up finish in the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita.

Entries: Rodeo Drive S. (G1T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, September 28, 2019, Race 9

• Grade I
• 1 1/4m
• Downhill turf
• $300,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 4:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mirth (PA)	Mike E. Smith	121	Philip D'Amato	6/1
2	2Beau Recall (IRE)	Drayden Van Dyke	123	Brad H. Cox	9/5
3	3Elysea's World (IRE)	Flavien Prat	121	Richard Baltas	6/1
4	4Siberian Iris (IRE)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Richard E. Mandella	6/1
5	5Excellent Sunset (IRE)	Abel Cedillo	121	Anna Meah	7/2
6	6Paved (KY)	Victor Espinoza	121	Michael W. McCarthy	5/2