Back to her favorite path, it seems the only thing that can stand in the way key of life Beaumont Stakes (G2) victory dance will be an 86% chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday, April 16.
The agile daughter of dream town a perfect 2 vs 2 at Keeneland, boasting the strongest numbers in the seven-way and 184-foot sophomore competition. Campaigned by Flurry Racing Stables, who signed tickets for $350,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale for 2-year-olds in training, and Hoffman Family Racing, Key of Life raised $400,000 la Beaumont from a substantial effort in last month’s Purple Martin Stock at Oaklawn Park.
Recovering from a third-place finish in the February 11 Dixie Belle Stakes—a contest on a muddy track—Key of Life rushes forward and never looks back down the road to a drag win 3 1/4 long in the Martin Stock Purple prize.
“The last track (Dixie Belle) was muddy. Things weren’t going at the right pace that day. It was a storm of total bad luck,” owner Stanton Flurry said after the Purple Martin. “(Key of Life) is just a pretty girl. I’m excited to see how the rest of the year goes. Hopefully we can do a qualifying race or two with her and move on. keep going with the flow.”
Breaking through from a location far outside in Beaumont, intern Brad Cox will need another leap from the gate to overtake the New York delivery man stone wall star and maybe the winner of Ruthless Stakes interpolate for an early advantage.
Flavien Prat has a call on Key of Life. In her two previous starts at Keeneland last year as a 2-year-old, Key of Life took the lead in scores in Myrtlewood Stakes and an optional claimant, both with more than six hook.
Beaumont, the last stop on the Road to Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5, scores it on a 10-4-3-2-1 scale. However, none of the Beaumont contenders are currently vying for a starting spot on the Oaks even after winning Sunday’s race.
Barry Schwartz’s Stonewall star, the direct winner of two of her last four starts, exits the 11-time run in the seven-part Wide Country Stakes on February 18 at laurel park. The New York-born chubby girl faces the graded company for the first time after seven trips to the post location and just making her third venture from the Big Apple.
The Flatter chubby, coached by Horacio De Paz, will start from lesson 3 with Luis Saez in the iron.
Interpolation, coming from the powerful Chad Brown warehouse, looks like a progressive daughter of into naughty after her decisive vote count on February 5 Cruel. Burdened by less-than-ideal rides in all but one of her four starts, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will try to steer the little girl out of trouble in Beaumont.
Other contenders include female Pocahontas Stakes (G3) winner 2022 Fun and energetic and winner Gasparilla Stakes Opus forty-two both cut back on the trip.
