The way the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap (G3) played out may have been out of the ordinary, but the result was clear July 25 at Del Mar.
While others went on the attack in the final turn of the 1 1/2-mile dirt test, Levy Racing’s Beach View got a patient ride from jockey Rafael Bejarano, found an opening on the rail in the stretch, and burst away late to win by 4 3/4 lengths over heavy favorite Hoppertunity.
The race took an odd turn after the second of three turns when early pacesetter Little Scotty moved to the middle of the track and dropped to the back of the pack. Unapologetic and Twentytwentyvision advanced on the inside to take to the front.
After Unapologetic tired in the second turn, longshot Full of Luck took his place near the front. Hoppertunity advanced three wide to move up on even terms with the pair late in the bend, while Little Scotty attempted to re-rally two lanes outside of Hoppertunity under jockey Asa Espinoza. On the inside of the quartet, Twentytwentyvision left just enough room for Beach View to slip through.
With a clear lane, the 5-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway accelerated and finished the distance in 2:34.02.
“He was (winless in two starts) on the dirt, but one of them was the first race of his career and the other was the Tokyo City Cup (G3), where he ran the best number of his life,” said winning trainer Leonard Powell. “I thought we would be a bit closer to the pace, but Rafael made the right call.”
“My horse has speed, but we came away from there nice and easy and he was relaxed, so I took a little hold,” Bejarano said of Beach View, who had been on or near the early pace in four of his last five starts. “My position was good throughout. Then, coming for home, I got through inside, and he went. He likes the distance. It’s good for him.”
Beach View was bred by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, LLL and was purchased from the Hidden Brook consignment at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling sale for $130,000. Ben Glass signed the ticket for owners Gary and Mary West. Beach View raced in their distinctive pink silks in his first two starts, including a Maiden victory at Parx in late September, 2016. He has raced in Southern California for Levy Racing since early 2017.
More Winner’s Circle Photos
Earlier that afternoon at Delaware Park, another Hidden Brook sales graduate also found the winner’s circle when Crypto Currency scored in a Maiden Special contest. The juvenile son of Congrats was quick out of the gate and sped to a wire-to-wire 2 3/4-length triumph. He was sold at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling auction for $27,000 to Black Cloud Racing.
Crypto Currency is the second Hidden Brook-affiliated juvenile winner of the week. On July 23, Malocchio was victorious in a Delaware Park Maiden Special for D. J. Stable and trainer Jason Servis. The daughter of Orb is a graduate of the Hidden Brook South training facility in Ocala.
-portions edited from www.bloodhorse.com
