The race itself was more straightforward than her pre-race ordeal in
“The biggest part for me was getting the tack on her,” Sheppard said.
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Dynaslew, who added blinkers to sharpen her up, obliged by going straight to
the head of affairs and dictating fractions of :26 2/5, :51 4/5, 1:18 and 1:43.
She was tracked by the trio of Ainamaa (Lemon Drop Kid), Gold d’Oro (Medaglia
d’Oro) and Zapparition (Ghostzapper) in the early going, while 5-2 favorite
Giants Play (Giant’s Causeway) and 3-1 second choice Emerald Beech settled in
fifth and sixth, respectively.
On the final turn, Dynaslew put her longtime chasers away and tried to open
up on the field. But jockey Alex Solis had already given Emerald Beech her cue,
and she was rapidly picking off rivals one by one until she had only Dynaslew in
front of her. The front runner was still a length on top through 1 1/4 miles in
2:09, but she could not withstand Enerald Beech inside the final furlong.
With a relentlessly round action well suited to the going, Emerald Beech
overhauled Dynaslew and kept on to finish the soggy 1 3/8 miles in 2:21 3/5. The
winner returned $8.40, $5.30 and $3.40.
“When I had a chance in the last three-eighths to get her out, I found the
firmer ground, and she did her kick,” Solis said. “She handled the softer turf
very well here. At Belmont she also ran on softer turf and handled it good as
well, so we thought she would be fine on the turf today.”
“Alex (Solis) seems to get along well with her,” Sheppard said. “He had a lot
of confidence in her. The one thing she does is stay forever. He said she went
around easily. She used to run off and now she’s learned to relax. Now we’ll see
how far we can go (with her).”
The top two had the stretch run to themselves. Senada (Pulpit), who had also
made an impressive move from well back turning for home, could not sustain it
down the lane and checked in another 7 1/2 lengths astern in third. Dyani (Dynaformer)
closed from last for fourth. The remainder — Prize Catch (A.P. Indy), Ainamaa,
Giants Play, Gold d’Oro and a tailed-off Zapparition — were mostly strung out.
Bubbly Jane (Brz) (Yagli) and Endless Expanse (Ire) (Red Ransom) were scratched,
along with the main-track-only Dynazaper (Ghostzapper).
Emerald Beech is not exactly an overnight success. Although she won at first
asking for trainer MacDonald Benson in 2009, she was stuck in the entry-level
allowance ranks for nearly two years. Emerald Beech started to put it all
together this season as a five-year-old. Runner-up in her 2011 debut at
Keeneland, the bay at last cleared her entry-level condition on the Tapeta at
Presque Isle, and that success opened the floodgates. Emerald Beech next added a
second-level optional claimer on the turf at Belmont Park, and earned her first
black-type coup in the August 10 Waya S. at the Spa. She now sports a 15-5-1-3
mark and $238,838 in earnings.
“She’s just matured,” Sheppard commented. “This is only my second year having
her. She was up in Canada. It takes me a while to figure them out.
“My training style is to have horses do well when they get older. A lot of
other horses get burned out. They go into the Triple Crown and get burned out.
That’s not my style. I love horses, and I try to treat them right.”
The Pennsylvania-bred is out of the French Group 2-placed stakes winner
Beyond the Waves (Ocean Crest), who is also responsible for the multiple French
stakes-placed Water View (Petionville). Her latest foals are an unnamed juvenile
colt by Indian Charlie and a 2011 colt by Smart Strike. She hails from the
family of Grade 1 sprint star Bordonaro (Memo [Chi]), Grade 2 victor Powis
Castle (Rare Brick) and multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Pioneerof the Nile
(Empire Maker), runner-up in the 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1).