HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It took a tour-de-force performance to defeat a champion on Saturday at Oaklawn Park and that’s what Claret Beret delivered in the Grade 1, $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap when she shuttled to a 4 1/2-length victory over Eclipse Award winner Nitrogen.
“She was impressive,” winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.
Claret Beret earned a spot in the starting gate for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff with the win, as the Apple Blossom was being run as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race for the first time. She also won her first Grade 1 on Saturday and lifted her rider, Micah Husbands, to his first Grade 1 win in North America.
The Apple Blossom was showcased on a 12-race card as part of the Racing Festival of the South, in which Mad House captured the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. It was a sunny afternoon in the low 80s and the ontrack crowd was an estimated 40,000.
Claret Beret ($19.60) settled just off the pace as Blue Fire was pushed along by Five G through fractions of 23.70 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.87 for the half-mile. Claret Beret joined the two while racing three wide on the final turn, took the lead through six furlongs in 1:10.86, and rolled home to cover the 1 1/16 miles on a track rated fast in 1:42.21.
The time was the fastest Apple Blossom since Havre de Grace won the 2011 edition in 1:42.19.
“Claret was three wide and I just wanted Micah to be a little patient and he was,” Joseph said. “I thought he was in a good spot, then by the half-mile you could see that he had horse and by the three eighths, he took another hold on her and I felt pretty good there.
“But Nitrogen obviously was behind her - I mean she is a champion - so you’re still hoping you have enough horse to keep going, but she did. I thought she did it as good as you could ask.”
Nitrogen, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2025, broke from the rail under jockey Jose Ortiz.
“Pretty clean trip out of the one-hole,” Ortiz told publicity at Oaklawn. “I saved ground around the first turn. I was very happy with the pace in front of me, as fast as they went. Approaching the three-eighths pole, I noticed the winner was moving better than the two horses inside, so I kind of went outside and followed her. But when Micah asked her, she took off and she found another gear approaching the three-sixteenths pole. It was really impressive. I felt like my filly was running, but I wasn’t able to make up any ground.”
Claret Beret was a private purchase last year by Miller Racing. She was an impressive winner at one turn for her new connections. They moved her to two turns last out and she won the Grade 3 Royal Delta by a dominant five lengths at Gulfstream Park.
“Since we put her back to two turns, her two-turn races are super,” Joseph said. “She won nice last time and she was touting herself since that race. She obviously needed to do it again and I think she probably ran even [better] this time.
“This was big. She’s a Not This Time. She’s grand-looking, and now she’s a Grade 1 winner.”
Claret Beret also became a millionaire with her win Saturday, and her record now stands at seven wins from 19 starts for earnings of $1,115,834.
Majestic Oops finished third in the Apple Blossom, 3 3/4 lengths behind Nitrogen.
Handle on the 12-race card from all sources was $12 million, according to figures provided by Oaklawn. Racing resumes Sunday.
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