Crazy Beautiful Returns to Main Track in Comely

Multiple graded stakes winner Crazy Beautiful  made an impressive effort on the turf last out but will return to more familiar surroundings on dirt as part of an eight-horse field of 3-year-olds fillies competing at 1 1/8 miles in the $200,000 Comely Stakes (G3) Nov. 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Crazy Beautiful, owned by Phoenix Thoroughbred III, racked up all five of her stakes wins on dirt before trainer Kenny McPeek moved the Liam's Map   daughter back to turf for the first time since her successful career debut in July 2020. Crazy Beautiful ran a competitive second, finishing one length behind Navratilova , in the 1 1/16-mile Rubicon Valley View Stakes (G3T) Oct. 29 at Keeneland.

After posting three graded stakes wins in 1 1/16-mile main track races earlier this campaign—capturing the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) in March, the Summertime Oaks (G2) in May at Santa Anita Park, and the Delaware Oaks (G3) in July—McPeek said the return to grass was prompted by scheduling limitations more than a desire to deviate from what had been a successful sophomore blueprint for the Kentucky-bred.

"There weren't any options for straight 3-year-old fillies at the time," McPeek said. "She was doing well and she continues to do well after her last start. It looks like the Comely will be a good spot for her."

McPeek said the Comely could facilitate a start in the $300,000 American Oaks (G1T) on the grass that is slated for opening day of Santa Anita's winter/spring meet Dec. 26.

"The goal is to get her to the American Oaks at the end of the year," he said. "The Valley View gave me a test drive that she can handle the turf just fine. She's shown previously that she can run on anything."

Victories in her last four starts—and five wins in her last six races—has earned Vegas Weekend  a seat at a higher stakes table as she makes her first stakes appearance in her 12th career start. Trainer by Rob Atras said he wasn't worried about the cut back in distance last out in Vegas Weekend's first start for new connections.

"When she won the mile and an eighth, we were hoping to keep her going further but when she works in the morning she shows a pretty good turn of foot," Atras said. "I wasn't worried about running her seven-eighths."

Rigney Racing's Played Hard , fifth in the Alabama Stakes (G1) over the summer going 1 1/4 miles, garnered a personal-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure for her runner-up effort last out to fellow Comely contender Crazy Beautiful in the 1 1/16-mile Seneca Overnight Stakes in October at Churchill.

Other Comely participants of note include Shalimar Gardens , who was fourth in her stakes debut in the Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) last out at Keeneland; Bees and Honey , making her stakes bow in her fifth career start; Hybrid Eclipse , fourth in the Delaware Oaks; and Ninetypercentbrynn , who will be seeking her first stakes win in her first graded stakes appearance.

Entries: Comely S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Friday, November 26, 2021, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 3:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hybrid Eclipse (KY)	Dylan Davis	120	Linda Rice	20/1
2	2Ninetypercentbrynn (PA)	Eric Cancel	118	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	30/1
3	3Shalimar Gardens (NY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Horacio DePaz	6/1
4	4Crazy Beautiful (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	124	Kenneth G. McPeek	3/1
5	5Played Hard (KY)	Martin Garcia	118	Philip A. Bauer	3/1
6	6Army Wife (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Michael J. Maker	7/5
7	7Bees and Honey (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	J. Reeve McGaughey	15/1
8	8Vegas Weekend (KY)	Manuel Franco	120	Rob Atras	12/1