Judy the Beauty returns a winner in Rancho Bernardo

Judy the Beauty was an easy winner of the Rancho Bernardo in her first start since May (Benoit Photos) Judy the Beauty hadn’t competed since finishing fourth as the favorite in the May 3 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard, but got back to her winning ways Sunday with a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $147,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar. Settled more than five lengths off the pacesetting Amaranth through fractions of :21 4/5 and :44 3/5, Judy the Beauty bided her time in third under jockey Mike Smith. Reneesgotzip was keeping the leader company on the outside and put in her bid rounding the turn. Judy the Beauty had begun moving by this point and was only a head back of Reneesgotzip. She easily slid on past and pulled away to finish 6 1/2 furlongs on the Polytrack in 1:15 3/5. Sent off the 6-5 second choice, Judy the Beauty paid $4.60 for the win. Madame Cactus came from well out of it in last to take second by 2 3/4 lengths over 4-5 favorite Reneesgotzip, who had bobbled at the start. Amaranth completed the order under the wire. Show wagering was canceled following the scratches of Fashion Plate and Sagebrush Queen.

The results took a few minutes to be declared official as the stewards
conducted an inquiry into a bumping incident between Reneesgotzip and Amaranth
in midstretch, but made no change after concluding it didn’t affect the original
order of finish.

Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, Judy the Beauty has now banked $1,112,146
lifetime to go along with her 17-8-7-1 career mark. The Ghostzapper mare had
never finished worse than third before running fourth in the Humana Distaff, but
got back on track in this spot.

She began her five-year-old campaign at
Santa Anita, taking the
Las Flores, then shipped cross-country to add
Keeneland‘s Madison to
her resume prior to her run under the Twin Spires last out. The chestnut
captured the Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland last season, holding
Breeders’ Cup Filly &
Mare Sprint champion Groupie Doll to third that day, and finished a half-length
second to that rival next out when Groupie Doll defended her Breeders’ Cup title
at Santa Anita.

Judy the Beauty’s other stakes win,

Woodbine‘s Shady Well, came when she was a juvenile, and she followed that
by going on a four-race runner-up streak that included the Spinaway, Prioress
and Gallant Bloom Handicap. That latter race closed out her sophomore season,
and she opened 2013 with an optional claiming win before recording another pair
of seconds in the Winning Colors and Princess Rooney Handicap as well as a third
behind Groupie Doll in the
Presque Isle
Downs Masters.

Bred in Ontario by Adena
Springs, Judy the Beauty was a $20,000
Keeneland September
yearling. She is out of the stakes-winning Holy Bull mare Holy Blitz, and her
third dam is the stakes-scoring Horsafire, who would go on in the breeding shed
to produce Grade 2 heroine Incinerate, Grade 3 victor Fan the Flame and Judy the
Beauty’s second dam, multiple stakes winner Pagofire.

Incinerate is herself the dam of both Grade 1 diva and 2005 Kentucky Oaks
runner-up In the Gold as well as three-time stakes scorer High Blitz. Another of
Horsafire’s grandprogeny is Hemingway’s Key, who ran third in the 2006
Preakness.

Farther back in this female family one can find champions Affectionately,
Bridal Flower, Bimelech and Black Helen as well as blue-hen mare *La Troienne.

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