Beau Recall Takes Churchill Distaff Turf Mile

The sharp recent form Beau Recall has found under the care of trainer Brad Cox carried the 5-year-old daughter of Sir Prancealot straight to victory May 4 in the $400,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.

First or second in her past three starts after moving to Cox's barn at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Beau Recall turned back to a mile for the first time since November and put in a strong late rally from the back of the pack that carried her to a 1 1/4-length victory.

Beau Recall is a mare with significant back class who had already run in 13 graded stakes before joining Cox's string, but the trainer said it was a drop in company over the winter that gave her the confidence she needed to find her way back to the winner's circle.

"She got class relief this winter at Fair Grounds, and it picked her head back up and she figured out how to win again," Cox explained. "I think ultimately that's what got her going in the right direction again. She did move forward when she got up here after the Fair Grounds, and she showed it today."

With Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons, Beau Recall broke well and settled off the pace as Capla Temptress, Valedictorian, and Take These Chains took turns on the early lead through fractions of :23.82 and :48.28.

A new player arrived on the scene when the field turned for home, and Got Stormy rocketed to the front, opening a two-length advantage at the three-sixteenths pole. At that point, Beau Recall had only one horse beat, but she quickened down the stretch with a tremendous turn of foot and reeled in the leader late. The final time was 1:37.12 on a firm turf course.

"I think I almost had a coronary at the sixteenth pole," joked Mark Taylor of Medallion Racing, which owns the mare in partnership with Slam Dunk Racing.

Phillip Shelton, the operation's manager, said it was satisfying to see the decision pay off to move Beau Recall out of California, where she was based for the majority of her career with Simon Callaghan. Over the winter, she won the New Orleans Ladies Stakes, finished second in the Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes, and took the Blushing K. D. Stakes.

"Obviously, our goal is to be at the very high level," Shelton said. "We had two fillies in this race, we had a filly in the Oaks yesterday. … We're trying to find them on the way up, as best we can. We bought her after she had run second in a couple graded stakes. She then ran second in a grade 2 for us, got beat a nose in a grade 1 in the Del Mar Oaks. We won a grade 2 early last year, had a lot of fun with her. We just felt like maybe we could change it up, made the decision to move her east, and obviously it's worked out really well."

Cox said the June 8 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park could be in the future for Beau Recall, who improved her record to six wins and five seconds from 22 starts for earnings of $740,512. The mare was bred in Ireland by Tom Wallace out of the Great Commotion mare Greta D'Argent and was a $385,000 RNA at the 2019 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. As a yearling, she sold for US$19,025 to A. McGuinness from Lewinstown Farm's consignment to the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearlings Sale.   

"Absolutely, the Just a Game would be something we'll entertain," Cox said. "We'll nominate her. The timing would be great. She's not a big filly, and she needs a little timing between races. It will definitely be something we'll take a look at."