After the FanDuel Limestone S. was taken off the grass, Hot Beach (Omaha Beach) did not mind a wet main track one bit as she rolled home a winner at Keeneland on Friday.
The dark bay began her career last summer at Ellis Park with a runner-up finish and then won the Debutante S. at the Pea Patch in mid-August. A well beaten third behind 'TDN Rising Star' V V's Dream (Mitole) in the GIII Pocahontas S. at Churchill Downs a month later, Hot Beach was last seen running second to MGSP Youalmosthadme (Oxbow) in the Myrtlewood S. at Keeneland in late October.
Well-backed at the windows as the 4-5 choice here, the Brian Lynch trainee broke like a shot out of the gate and set the tone up the backstretch. With the field unable to reel her in, Hot Beach continued to make every pole a winning one and she kept finding down the lane to secure her second black-type win.
☀️⛱️#14 HOT BEACH ($3.98) goes gate-to-wire in Keeneland's $250,000 @FanDuel Limestone Stakes!
This is the second stakes victory for the filly, who was ridden by @jose93_ortiz for trainer @BLynchRacing and Boardshorts Stables. pic.twitter.com/2l5sV5XKiO
— TVG (@TVG) April 12, 2024
“I tried to follow my good buddy (trainer) Wesley Ward's instructions over the years: Leave there running,” said Lynch. “I hope (she's gotten better); I hope she makes this transition from two to three (years old). She had a great little 2-year-old campaign, and Jose worked her a bit during the winter, so I felt very comfortable with him up on her today. It was a good result. It's a lovely race to win here in the spring.”
The winner's unraced dam last year produced a filly by Charlatan and she foaled a colt Feb. 13 named Flip Flop Freak (Life Is Good). Hot Beach's second dam, GSP Elusive Heat (Elusive Quality), is out of champion 3-year-old filly and GI Prioress S. heroine Xtra Heat (Dixieland Heat).
FANDUEL LIMESTONE S., $244,563, Keeneland, 4-12, 3yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:05.70, sy.
1–HOT BEACH, 118, f, 3, by Omaha Beach
1st Dam: Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro
2nd Dam: Elusive Heat, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Xtra Heat, by Dixieland Heat
($160,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $400,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Boardshorts Stables, LLC; B-Cobalt Investments, LLC (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $149,188. Lifetime Record: GSP, 5-2-2-1, $320,883. *1/2 to Tracksmith (Street Sense), SW & GSP, $282,133, Scalding (Nyquist), MGSW, $325,800 and Hot and Sultry (Speightster), GSW & GISP, $621,620.
2–Zoe's Prime, 118, f, 3, Bolt d'Oro–Petunia, by Into Mischief. ($20,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $38,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Chris S. Aulds and Keith F. Johnston; B-Jumping Jack Racing LLC (KY); T-Jose M. Camejo. $48,125.
3–Kodiac Wintergreen (Ire), 118, f, 3, Kodiac (GB)–Humble And Proud (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). (€160,000 Ylg '22 GOFOR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Bregman Family Racing LLC; B-Patrick Grogan (IRE); T-George R. Arnold, II. $19,250.
Margins: 4, 1, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.99, 5.04, 10.06.
Also Ran: Big Trouble, Antique Silver, Midnight Angel, Foxxy Cleopatra, Greavette. Scratched: Amidst Waves, Crimson Advocate, Nice as Pie, Pipsy (Ire), Toupie, Xtreme Diva.
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