Pin Up Betty Makes it Two in a Row in Regret
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Photo: Coady Media/Renee Torbit
Pin Up Betty (turquoise and yellow silks) wins the Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs
It took Three Diamond Farm's homebred Pin Up Betty eight starts to break her maiden, but it only took one to become a graded stakes winner. The 3-year-old Constitution filly trained by Mike Maker sprang the upset in the $272,500 Regret Stakes (G3T) June 1 at Churchill Downs.
Pin Up Betty finished second in four consecutive maiden special weight races beginning last November before her five-length maiden victory at Churchill May 9 going 1 1/8 miles on the turf—the same course and distance she ran in the Regret.
On Saturday, rider Luis Saez allowed Pin Up Betty to relax early toward the rear of the seven-horse field behind fairly tepid fractions of :23.82, :49.10, and 1:14.01. When Saez asked her to run, Pin Up Betty launched a four-wide move around the far turn. She hit the lead with about a furlong to run, and despite drifting out several paths, continued through the wire to win by 1 1/2 lengths.
The final time over a turf course rated firm despite afternoon rain at the Louisville, Ky., track was 1:50.70. Pin Up Betty paid $15.30 to win.
"We've tried to get her to the turf a couple of times last year but got excluded from some races," Maker said. "Her dam, I'm Betty G, was a really nice turf mare for us. So, I think once we switched her to the turf she's really improved for us. Being a homebred for Three Diamonds Farm, it's really special to win with her."
Rigney Racing's two-time grade 2 winner Buchu rallied to finish second, while pace-pressing Gavea battled on for third for owner Bal Mar Equine.
Pin Up Betty improved her record to two wins from nine starts, with earnings of $319,365. She is out of the Into Mischief mare I'm Betty G , a three-time stakes winner who also placed in three grade 3 races and earned $353,100 for Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm. Maker trained I'm Betty G for 16 of her 19 races.
I'm Betty G, offered in foal to Improbable, sold to Stoneriggs Farm for $275,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, a little more than seven months after Pin Up Betty was born. That pregnancy produced the Improbable colt Governor Sam , who ran sixth in his debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes May 11 at Gulfstream Park.
Pin Up Betty is the 20th graded black-type winner for Constitution, who has six crops of racing age including 2-year-olds of this year. His best progeny include 2020 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law , who had his first winner as a sire May 16, and Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Catching Freedom , who most recently finished third in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
Constitution stands at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky. His 2024 stud fee is $110,000.