Royal Spa, Alpine Princess, and Our Pretty Woman will take the bulk of the betting action in the Grade 2, $400,000 Locust Grove Stakes on Saturday at Churchill. Regaled might sneak up on them.
She will do so from well off the pace, if her form is any guide. Regaled, in her first start for trainer Whit Beckman and owners Ribble Farms and Front Page Equine, closed from last of seven into a walking pace to finish second, beaten a head, in the Groupie Doll on Aug. 10 at Ellis Park.
“She came to me as a stone-cold closer, and for her to do what she did at Ellis, which generally is a pretty speed-favoring track, and going super wide, I thought was pretty impressive,” Beckman said.
Regaled, a 4-year-old by Mohaymen, this spring hit a new level, winning a second-level two-turn allowance race at Laurel Park before closing fast to miss Royal Spa by a head in the Heavenly Cause, a one-turn mile. Her third in the Allaire duPont Distaff on May 16 marked her final start before she was purchased at a digital auction for $300,000.
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Just six are entered in the 1 1/16-mile Locust Grove, but the race ought to still unfold at a decent tempo, which helps Regaled, and Beckman sees the move from Ellis’s 1 1/2-turn mile to two turns as a plus.
“I think the extra distance is better for her, and I think she moves forward on Churchill’s track. She’s training fantastic. I love the way she’s doing here,” Beckman said.
In the Groupie Doll, Regaled finished in front of Alpine Princess, who, in winning the Marie Hulman George on July 5 at Horseshoe Indianapolis, beat Our Pretty Woman by one length. And in the Shawnee on May 31 at Churchill, it was Royal Spa first, Alpine Princess a well-beaten third. We can unpack all that crossover form to some extent.
Alpine Princess in the Groupie Doll did not have an ideal trip, and she’s very likely better in a true route race like the Locust Grove. On the other hand, she rode a powerful inside speed-bias to victory in the Hulman George. Our Pretty Woman chased her all the way and did well to hold her position to the finish, especially considering she was racing for the first time in 10 weeks. Trainer Steve Asmussen took Our Pretty Woman to Saratoga, but the filly never raced on the East Coast, instead awaiting this spot. She’s in line for a favorable tracking trip and might get back to the 93 Beyer Speed Figure she posted finishing a close second in the 2024 Fair Grounds Oaks.
Royal Spa clearly merits favoritism. Her win over Regaled marked the start of a productive spring and summer, and after winning the Shawnee, Royal Spa came home a strong second in the Fleur de Lis at Churchill behind 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna, subsequent winner of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign. The competition didn’t get much easier when trainer Rodolphe Brisset sent the mare to Del Mar for the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch on Aug. 2. After pushing a strong pace, Royal Spa backed up to fourth, but the three in front of her – Seismic Beauty, Kopion, and Richi – rate considerably higher than the Locust Grove competition.
Royal Spa, though, has raced since October without a break. Regaled makes just her second start since May. A neck separated the two in Maryland, and the gap in their Locust Grove odds suggests Regaled could be the play.
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