Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
WILLY BEAMIN FAVORED OVER FIVE IN DISCOVERY 'CAP
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Willy Beamin, who became a Grade 1 winner this summer on just three days rest, is favored to add a second graded stakes win to his resume as he comes off a seven-week freshening for Saturday's 68th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Discovery Handicap for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Claimed for $25,000 last March by trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. for James Riccio, the gelded son of Suave reeled off five consecutive victories for his new connections culminating in his 11-1 shocker in the Foxwoods King's Bishop at Saratoga Race Course, a mere 72 hours after he beat New York-breds in the $150,000 Albany. His winning streak was snapped a month later when he was caught at the wire by Politically Correct in the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.
"He's good, real good," said Dutrow of Willy Beamin, who drew post position 6 as the 7-5 morning-line favorite over five other sophomores. "I wish I were doing as good as he is. He drew pretty good, though, and hopefully things will go his way on Saturday."
Jockey Alan Garcia, who teamed with Willy Beamin for his Albany and the Foxwoods King's Bishop victories, will return aboard the 121-pound highweight for the 1 1/8-mile race.
The lightly raced Guilt Trip will step into stakes company for the first time as he makes his fourth career start in the Discovery. The bay son of Pulpit, out of the Quiet American mare Mysterieuse Etoile, broke his maiden at second asking in September at Belmont Park, and returned a month later to win an optional claimer by three lengths, both at a mile.
"He had some issues and got a little bit of a late start," said trainer Chad Brown of Guilt Trip, for whom Gary and Mary West paid $200,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton yearling sales at Saratoga. "As a 2-year-old, he was one of our top prospects. It's nice to see him get his career underway."
The 3-1 second choice on the morning line, Guilt Trip drew the rail and will be ridden by Javier Castellano.
Stephanoatsee, who was knocked off the Triple Crown trail earlier this year with a pastern injury, returned in August to win an optional claimer at Delaware Park, followed by a fourth in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby and most recently a three-quarter-length victory in the Barbaro at Delaware.
"I had hoped to bring him back at Saratoga, but the timing didn't work out," said Graham Motion, who trains the half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Shackleford for his breeder, My Meadowview Farms. "His first race back was a conservative spot, and I think being stuck down on the rail in the Pennsylvania Derby may have cost him, and then his race in the Barbaro was a good one.
"He's a lovely horse – a great, big, strapping horse – and I really feel we're going to see the best of him as he stretches out to 1 ¼ miles next year," Motion added.
Junior Alvarado will ride Stephanoatsee, 6-1 on the morning line, from post position 3.
Rounding out the field are Called to Serve, nosed out by fellow Discovery hopeful Our Entourage in the Temperence Hill overnight stakes on October 21 at Belmont, and Adirondack King, who was three-quarters of a length behind Stephanoatsee in the Barbaro.
The field for the Grade 3, $150,000 Discovery Handicap:
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | 115 | 3-1 | |||
| 2 | 117 | 15-1 | |||
| 3 | 117 | 6-1 | |||
| 4 | 116 | 7-2 | |||
| 5 | 117 | 6-1 | |||
| 6 | 121 | 7-5 |
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