Crazy Beautiful Ready to Roll in Pocahontas Stakes

One day before he sends Swiss Skydiver to the starting gate for the 146th Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), trainer Kenny McPeek will hope to score a preemptive victory when he sends out a pair of runners in the $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes (G3) Sept. 3 at Churchill Downs. 

Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Crazy Beautiful will headline the field of 2-year-old fillies Thursday. A daughter of Liam's Map , the juvenile has been impressive in her two starts.

The winning pattern began midsummer with her July 5 maiden on the grass at Ellis Park, where she dominated by a handy 3 1/2 lengths over the one-mile Pocahontas distance. Switching to dirt in the Aug. 9 Runhappy Debutante Stakes at Ellis, Crazy Beautiful raced well back early in the seven-furlong sprint before moving up on the turn. Bumping twice with another runner approaching the lane, the filly rebounded without a hitch, drove past the leaders down the inside, and scored by 3 3/4 lengths. 

"Distance is not a problem," McPeek said. "Her sire was a distance horse, so she can handle it without any trouble. She acts like she could be a really special filly." 

Brian Hernandez Jr. is scheduled have the call on Crazy Beautiful from post 6. Hernandez reported Sept. 1 that he had tested positive for COVID-19, but that he is no longer contagious since he is also positive for the virus antibodies. He was off his mounts at Churchill Downs Tuesday and Wednesday and the timetable for his return is uncertain.

Starting from post 4 for McPeek will be Dream Quist. Owned by C&H Diamond Racing and Baccari Racing Stable, the daughter of Nyquist  enters the Pocahontas off a one-mile maiden victory July 26 at Ellis. Like her stablemate, Dream Quist appears to have late speed as she won her maiden test by a clear 3 3/4 lengths after pounding home in deep stretch. Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard for the maiden win, will have the call once more.

Should either of McPeek's fillies return victorious Thursday, it would mark the third Pocahontas score for the trainer. He took back-to-back renewals of the race in 2015 and 2016 with Dothraki Queen and Daddys Lil Darling, respectively. 

Trainer Dale Romans will send out his own impressive Ellis maiden winner in Girl Daddy, an Uncle Mo  filly owned by Albaugh Family Stables. Her only start came July 24 when she left her competition in the dust and won by 5 1/2 lengths going six furlongs on the dirt. 

"She is the best 2-year-old filly I have ever had—as of right now, " Romans said. "She's really, really good." 

Girl Daddy has been training consistently at Churchill Downs since her maiden win. The filly posted a four-furlong move Aug. 27 beneath the Twin Spires where she was clocked going :47 3/5. The time was the fourth-fastest of 64 at the distance. 

Joe Talamo will partner with Girl Daddy from post 11. 

The Pocahontas is a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. 

Entries: Pocahontas S. (G3)

Churchill Downs, Thursday, September 03, 2020, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 5:58 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Fabricate (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1
2	2Scat's Choice (KY)	Tyler Baze	118	James K. Chapman	30/1
3	3American Grace (KY)	Gabriel Saez	118	J. Larry Jones	10/1
4	4Dream Quist (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	12/1
5	5Ava's Grace (KY)	David Cohen	118	Robertino Diodoro	15/1
6	6Crazy Beautiful (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	120	Kenneth G. McPeek	2/1
7	7Blissful Change (FL)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Joe Sharp	15/1
8	8Xtrema (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	20/1
9	9Alexandria (OH)	Gerardo Corrales	120	Timothy E. Hamm	15/1
10	10Inject (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Stanley M. Hough	5/2
11	11Girl Daddy (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Dale L. Romans	8/1
12	12Mania (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Christopher Davis	15/1