Crazy Beautiful Eeks Out a Neck Victory in Seneca
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Photo: Coady Photography
Crazy Beautiful (No. 6) wins the Seneca Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs
Phoenix Thoroughbred III's three-time graded stakes winner Crazy Beautiful wore down Rigney Racing's front-running, even-money favorite Played Hard in deep stretch to win the inaugural running of the $155,568 Seneca Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs Oct. 1 by a neck.
Ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. and trained by Kenny McPeek, Crazy Beautiful ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.35 to collect her sixth win from 12 starts. The winner's share of $92,060 increased Crazy Beautiful's earnings to $801,925.
Earlier this year, Crazy Beautiful posted victories in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), $200,000 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park, and $300,000 Delaware Oaks (G3). As a 2-year-old, Crazy Beautiful took the Runhappy Debutante Stakes at Ellis Park and was second in both the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill.
Crazy Beautiful paid $5.20 as the 8-5 second-betting choice. Played Hard, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, was 2 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Moon Swag .
Illiogami , Oliviaofthedesert , and Time for Glory completed the order of finish. Double Dawn was scratched.
Breaking from post position 5 in the field of six fillies, Crazy Beautiful raced just off pacesetter Played Hard's right hip as the leader set fractions of :23.31 and :46.47. Played Hard had a length advantage midway around the final turn as she clipped six furlongs in 1:10.45 but Crazy Beautiful reengaged down the stretch and inched clear of the tiring pacesetter in the final 100 yards.
The connections of Crazy Beautiful in the trophy presentation for the Seneca Overnight Stakes
"I saw in some of her previous races that she was able to use a little bit of early speed to get into a better position and would still have some punch late," Hernandez said. "Today it looked like Played Hard could have an easy lead but I had confidence in my filly that she'd be able to keep close to the pace early. She's ran against some really nice fillies this year, and I think she may have used that class to her advantage today."
Greg Geier, McPeek's assistant added: “Brian got her into a great spot early. There wasn’t a lot of speed in the race but she got a good trip and she’s a really nice filly.”
Crazy Beautiful was bred in Kentucky by Carolyn R. Vogel. She is a daughter of Liam's Map out of the stakes-winning, graded-placed Indian Charlie mare Indian Burn . Crazy Beautiful is one of six foals from Indian Burn. Her most recent foal is a Midnight Lute 2-year-old filly. Three other foals have started, with one winner.
Crazy Beautiful was purchased by McPeek for $250,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale from the consignment of Little's Bloodstock.