Be Fair rolls in off-the-turf Lake George

Be Fair is a half-sister to Whitney-bound Macho Again (Bill Roberts/Horsephotos.com) Westrock Stables’ BE FAIR (Exchange Rate) couldn’t land a blow in her last four starts against Grade 1 rivals, but the Wayne Lukas pupil finally caught a break when Friday’s $142,500 Lake George S. (G3) was rained off the turf at Saratoga. Hustled out of the gate by Rajiv Maragh, the dark bay sophomore grabbed the early lead in the scratch-decimated field, rebuffed a stern bid from even-money favorite Mary’s Follies (More Than Ready) and pulled four lengths clear to earn her first stakes victory. The speed-favoring nature of the track “enhanced our chances,” Maragh said. “She broke sharp. I studied this filly’s films, and she seems like she has a high cruising speed. I was trying to keep separation between me and the rest of the field. I wanted to give her a breather, and that’s when (Mary’s Follies engaged her), but I knew she had a lot left.” “I don’t know if (the sloppy track) was the defining thing here,” Lukas said. “It’s easy to point to that, and obviously she had an affinity for the track, but she’s trained awfully well up here anyhow.

“I thought I’d try her (on the turf) — it’s a three-year-old race, it’s a
Grade 2, it’s a nice race to get under your belt and, you know, there aren’t
many spots up here for a three-year-old filly going two turns, so I was going to
try her on the turf, and I would have run her on the turf had it not rained.

“I would have run her on the turf if it had been normal, but I would not have
taken a filly of her caliber and tried them on the turf in these conditions for
the first time. She’s never been on the turf, never even worked on it, so
I wasn’t going to subject her to yielding turf.”

The Lake George, which was originally carded as a Grade 2 at 1 1/16 miles on
the inner turf, was extended to 1 1/8 miles when transferred to the sloppy main
track. Because of the surface switch, it has been downgraded to a Grade 3 event,
pending review by the American Graded Stakes Committee.

Be Fair enjoyed a comfortable lead through splits of :23 4/5, :47 2/5 and
1:11 4/5, tracked all the while by Mary’s Follies. Consequence (El Prado [Ire])
raced in third, and the last of the quartet, The Best Day Ever (Brahms), was all
alone in the rear. Neither was able to mount a rally, and the two fell further
behind.

At the top of the stretch, Mary’s Follies launched her challenge and managed
to put her head in front between calls, but Be Fair was nothing if not resolute.
Finding more when roused, Be Fair regained the lead and inched one length clear
through a mile in 1:36 4/5. She continued to widen her advantage in deep
stretch, ultimately stopping the teletimer in 1:50 3/5. The 3-1 third choice,
the winner returned $8.40 and $3.50. There was no show wagering.

Mary’s Follies gave back $2.60 and concluded the $14.40 exacta (2-3). Another
9 3/4 lengths back came The Best Day Ever, who overhauled Consequence by
three-quarters of a length for third. Keertana (Johar), Kiawah Cat (Lemon Drop
Kid), Strike the Bell (Mizzen Mast), Lady Shakespeare (Theatrical [Ire]), Miss
Keller (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) and even the main track-only Ain’t Love Grand
(Dixie Union) were all withdrawn.

Be Fair improved her record to 8-3-0-0, $194,071. After capturing her first
two career outings at Oaklawn this winter, she tried the Honeybee S. (G3) and
wound up fourth after a slow start. Be Fair took a big class hike next time out
in the Ashland S. (G1), finishing a creditable fourth to Hooh Why (Cloud
Hopping), Gozzip Girl (Dynaformer) and Stardom Bound (Tapit). Her subsequent
starts did not go as encouragingly. A remote fourth to Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia
d’Oro) in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Be Fair checked in fifth in the Acorn S. (G1)
and eighth in the Prioress S. (G1) last time out.

“I tried her a couple times and I mismanaged her — putting her in the
Prioress and the Acorn and stuff,” Lukas admitted. “She’s not a sprinter — as
the jock just said, she’s got a beautiful cruising speed and if she gets into
it, she’s pretty effective.”

Bred by Milan Kosanovich in Florida, Be Fair is out of the winning Go Donna
Go (Wild Again), making her a half-sister to Stephen Foster H. (G1) hero Macho
Again (Macho Uno), who is gearing up for next Saturday’s Whitney H. (G1) at the
Spa. Be Fair has toured the sales ring three times, most recently bringing
$37,000 as an OBS April two-year-old.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to go back on the grass if I thought the conditions were
right,” Lukas said. “Now I might have to look at the Alabama ([G1] on August 22)
if Rachel Alexandra stays in Alaska or someplace! 

“You know me, I’m an eternal optimist, I’ve made a living running them where
they don’t belong. I think when I get her where she’s supposed to be, she looked
pretty good.”