Sabalenka Volleys Trainer to Stakes Debut

Whit Beckman would be the first to admit that his stable did not get off to the remarkably-fast start he had dreamed of when he first set out on his own last fall. Going into this summer, he had just two wins on his training record. But, the pieces have fallen into place in the past two months as Beckman has sent five horses to the winner's circle, including three in just the past two weeks.

Sabalenka (Good Samaritan) leads the charge of recent winners for Beckman and now looks to add to her trainer's success as she makes her stakes debut on Friday in the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. on opening day at Keeneland.

Beckman said the juvenile filly, who was a $35,000 OBS April purchase for Legion Bloodstock, showed potential to be a turf talent from the start. She ran second in her debut at Colonial Downs in August, but followed that effort with a lucrative maiden victory at Kentucky Downs going a mile on the turf.

“That was a really tough race,” Beckman said. “She had to overcome a few things–a wide post, a wide trip, and I think that track in itself can throw a lot of horses for a loop–but ultimately, I thought it was a really professional effort and I was happy with the result. When she first came in she was solid from the get-go, but she has done everything right since then.”

Beckman said that the filly, who was bought out by partner Joe DiRico after that maiden win, is training better than ever in the past few weeks. Sabalenka's efforts in the morning were what encouraged her trainer to take on the GII Jessamine.

“I don't think I would have even considered [the Jessamine] had I not thought she was going to go into it capable of showing up and putting in a good performance,” he explained. “She came out of that Kentucky Downs race a little more mature mentally. That has been my biggest thing with her. Physically, she's always been right there for us, but there have been some mental things we have had to work out early. With each race, I feel like she's picked up another little piece of it. Right now, what I see in the morning is much different than what I saw prior to the Kentucky Downs race.”

Beckman has plenty of experience working through the quirks and idiosyncrasies each horse might bring with them. The Louisville native is the son of an equine veterinarian and launched his career in the industry working for horseman Walter Bindner. From there, he spent time at Alex Rankin's Upson Downs Farm and then started 2-year-olds under David Scanlon. In between working for trainers Todd Pletcher and Eoin Harty, he spent a year as a head trainer in Saudi Arabia. Most recently, he was an assistant to Chad Brown for several years.

“I sometimes look back in disbelief that I've been able to work with such high-profile horses and be in such well-respected positions for as long as I have been,” Beckman said after zipping through his impressive resume. “I've been around a lot of really good horses and horsemen and it's been an incredible journey to get here. Ultimately this was the goal when I started on the racetrack 20-some years ago. Just to be here in this position, I'm super grateful and I'm enjoying the moment.”

Beckman said that his experience working with elite racehorses under Eclipse Award-winning trainers prepared him for going out on his own.

“I think as far as the training goes, you feel very comfortable knowing that you've seen so many good horses in so many situations and you've seen all of the approaches and adjustments that top-quality trainers are capable of making. I got such a good education and there were so many things I got to witness to give me the comfort I needed to go out and take the reins and confidently move forward.”

While the horsemanship side of the operation came easy for Beckman in those early months, he said the business side proved to require more effort. Finding the right staff, locating adequate stall space and dealing with Kentucky weather throughout the winter were all curve balls that had to be faced head on.

“There are a lot of different things that you can't really be ready for until you face them on your own,” he said. “Everyone has challenges in the beginning with any business, but it's about realizing what is an obstacle to overcome and what is an obstacle to integrate with.”

Based out of Churchill Downs, Beckman started out with just two trainees and now has a roster of 11. With several unraced juveniles looking to make their debuts in the coming months, Beckman hopes that he can continue this hot streak.

Another one of his recent winners, Music Street (Street Sense), will likely make an appearance at the end of the Keeneland meet. The 3-year-old filly owned by Kim Valerio and Prakash Sham Masand broke her maiden at Churchill Downs on Sept. 25.

“It took her a little bit to get rolling, but when she did she really ran a good race,” Beckman recalled. “Her training had reflected that ability prior to the race so I was happy to see her perform in the afternoon as she had been doing in the morning. Following the logical path, we're going to aim for an allowance at the end of the month at Keeneland.”

This Friday, Sabalenka will be Beckman's very first stakes performer. With Jose Ortiz aboard, the juvenile drew the inside post in a full field and will have to face the likes of Mike Maker's Towhead (Malibu Moon), who ran second in a photo finish in the Juvenile Fillies S., as well as a handful of promising last-out maiden winners and several stakes performers, but Beckman is confident in his filly's ability and plans to enjoy the experience of running in a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' qualifier.

“Obviously everyone has the dream of getting into these bigger and better spots,” he said. “From the beginning I knew it would be tough getting going, but now I'm really happy to have a good staff behind me, we're winning some races and the confidence is building. Just to go into this race has been the goal from the get-go and hopefully we continue to build and grow from here.”