Derby Hopeful Beasley Brings Back Memories

The horse is not named after Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, nor after Keeneland's retired vice president of racing Rogers Beasley, but for the tiny rural town of Beasley, Texas, where the population hovers around 650.

He could be any kind of runner, and in the days to come his connections hope he'll take them full circle to a certain racetrack on a certain Saturday in May—where 24 years ago, owner Lee Lewis and trainer Mark Hennig found themselves with their only Kentucky Derby (G1) starter to date.

But let's not get ahead of the story. First, lightly raced Beasley must prove he has the talent to match strides on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a more advanced group—rivals whose résumés already include high-level accomplishments. 

While those youngsters were charging to graded glory, Hennig gave this bay son of Shackleford   extra time to develop during his 2-year-old season. Beasley rewarded that patience Dec. 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack with a win at first asking, then stretched from six furlongs to seven with a strong runner-up effort in his 3-year-old debut Jan. 6 at Gulfstream Park. He finished a gritty second in his first trip around two turns at Gulfstream Feb. 3, and showed enough in that race for co-owners Lewis and Mark Grier to consider a shot at one of the classic preps.

"He had a really big breeze last May at Belmont when he first came to me, and as he advanced from that, I felt like we were going to be better off to slow down on him," Hennig said. "So I gave him a little bit of a break and we restarted late last August, which is why he didn't make it to the races earlier.

"He's always been the kind of horse who has a lot of presence. It still remains to be seen if he fits with the current crop. He's a big, pretty horse with a really nice way of going, and we've been pretty high on him all along."

Hennig has never been one to push his young horses, and although Beasley is entered in the March 4 Fountain of Youth (G2), he will likely bypass that spot in favor of the March 11 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), a race undefeated McCraken will miss because of an ankle strain.

"Unless something extreme happens to the field between now and then, at this point we're thinking of waiting for the Tampa Bay Derby," Hennig said. "He'll breeze tomorrow morning and if that goes well, he'll go to Tampa next week. We felt like it might be a more appropriate stepping stone toward the ultimate goal."

-----

When Hennig arrived beneath the Twin Spires with 1993 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Personal Hope, he was a newly turned 28-year-old with thousands of races on the horizon. Lewis, then 40, transferred the Storm Bird colt from Hennig's mentor D. Wayne Lukas after years of association with the eventual Hall of Famer, and ruffled a few feathers with his staunch support of a fledgling trainer. Today the memory is water under the bridge between horsemen, and Lewis remembers moving the eventual grade 1 winner without spite or dreams of Derby glory.

"Me switching trainers wasn't anything against Wayne," he said. "To me, he's the ultimate individual trainer, from Quarter Horses to Thoroughbreds. I was just a little small fry compared to Wayne's other clients at the time. I didn't know I had that kind of horse. I had no idea what I was doing. Me and Mark just went on our own journey."

Big and muscular, Personal Hope was a hard-to-handle colt who ran eighth for Lukas at first asking at Belmont Park in June of 1992. Switched to Hennig, who won his first race as a trainer in July of 1992, the horse broke his maiden for Lewis and his late wife Debi that December and went on a three-race win streak, then rebounded from a second in the San Felipe (G2) to take the Santa Anita Derby. He was only a $75,000 yearling purchase, but he earned $471,020 and closed out his career with fourth-place efforts in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1).  

"When these kind of horses come along, it's pretty obvious," Hennig said. "Granted, there's always going to be one that kind of sneaks up on you, but Personal Hope was the kind of horse that gave you confidence watching him train every day. Anybody can see the difference between one of the better 3-year-olds and one that's just trying to be good."

"It was very exciting," Lewis recalled. " I've had a lot of graded winners, but none like that horse. He was known as a horse with that kind of ability (to win the Kentucky Derby), so having one of the leaders heading in was quite an experience. He was such an outstanding individual, he made it even more fun and exciting.

"And Beasley's like that—this very good-looking horse who has a tremendous amount of personality. We're looking forward to seeing where his potential takes us."

Lewis, who also owns Quarter Horses in New Mexico, has campaigned champions of that breed and has taken home regional championships with New Mexico-bred Thoroughbreds produced in partnership. In 2001 he paired with Hennig to bring grade 2 winner Mystic Lady to the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Hennig also entered Edward Evans' Tap Dance that year and his only two Oaks starters to date ran fifth and seventh. But a return to the Kentucky Derby has eluded the owner so far.

"You know how hard it is to get to the Derby," Lewis said. "Even with Beasley, I go one step at a time. I'm looking forward to next weekend, and that's about all I let myself hope for."

Hennig also has maintained a steady and successful presence in the sport without attempting to force a Derby opportunity. From 1,334 winners and earnings of nearly $70 million, his top runners include dual grade 1 victor Star of Cozzene, Hollywood Derby (G1) winner Vergennes, Jerome Handicap (G1) winner Prenup, Matron Stakes (G1) victress Raging Fever, Personal Ensign (G1) winner Summer Colony, and King's Bishop (G1) victor Gygistar. 

"I haven't had many of that type," he said of Kentucky Derby prospects. "The only other one was (Willmott Stables' grade 1 winner) Eddington  . He ran well in a couple early preps, but he was another horse that didn't make it to the races until November, so he was kind of late to the party. We passed on the Derby and went straight to the Preakness (where he ran third)." 

Hennig sees similar potential in Beasley, who was bred by Nancy Shuford out of the Quiet American mare In Truth. The colt was well regarded before he even ran. Lewis and Grier went to $340,000 to buy him from Gainesway's consignment to the 2015 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale. He was purchased as a weanling for $65,000 by Clear Ridge Stables from the Elm Tree Farm consignment to Keeneland's 2014 November breeding stock sale.

"I think he’s a horse that’s still learning," Hennig said. "He's still a young, playful horse. I know he was fooling around in his first race on the turn. In his second race, he was very focused because he had a horse in front of him, so he was chasing that horse. He was good that day, but last time (jockey Jose) Ortiz told me he was a little challenging in the turn and lost focus. As soon as a horse went by him, he refocused. 

"He gets a little distracted when he doesn't have something to chase. He was also latching onto one side of the bit, so we made a subtle change to a more straight bit without a link in it, and that made all the difference in the world. He's been going great. These horses, they change a lot from race to race this time of year. I think he deserves a shot to go in one of the preps."

-----

Twenty-four years is a long time between drinks, and a long time for an owner-trainer partnership to survive. But Lewis, who annually keeps about 10 horses with Hennig, said the friendship they developed in those early Derby days will stand the test of time.

"I was just looking at a picture of us 24 years ago, and if we make it down the road to the Derby and they print that thing, nobody will recognize us," said Lewis, now 64. "We had dark hair then. Now we're both gray, but we still have a lot of fun. In those days Mark and I hit it off good. We got to be close friends and I'm very loyal to Mark. The friendship is so great. That's what keeps us together."  

Hennig's approach to training and business has also been a definite factor in the longevity of the partnership.

"He's very conservative with his horses. He puts the horse first, always," Lewis said. "If any of them have some kind of issue, he immediately calls me—honest and up front. He lets me know, 'This horse needs some time. Let's try this solution.' I listen to him, because I know he always has the horse's interest first, instead of trying to push on the horse or getting caught up in the excitement of the race coming up. I appreciate that, because that's part of the success we've had together. He's a very honest and first-class person."

Now 51, Hennig said a desire to return to the Kentucky Derby remains in the back of his mind. Older and wiser, he would cherish the opportunity. But he isn't going to force the issue.   

"I was a hell of a lot younger then," Hennig said. "At the time, I might not have been as appreciative of how hard it is to get there. It does certainly cross my mind—how great it would be to make it back, especially for the owners involved. But if Beasley isn't ready for that step, I'm OK with that. If he doesn't fit at this point, I'm still confident he may fit down the road with a little more experience. We'll take it one race at a time and let him tell us. He's either going to earn his way, or he's not."