BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Trainer Shug McGaughey will saddle Florida-bred Pure Beauty for the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct Saturday when she takes on seven other 3-year-old fillies in search of qualifying points for the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks to be run at Churchill Downs on May 2. The $200,000 Gazelle offers 200 Kentucky Oaks points to the top five finishers in the nine-furlong Gazelle, allocated on a 100-50-25-15-10 schedule.
A $435,000 yearling purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale of yearlings by Shawn Dugan as agent, Pure Beauty will make her fourth career start in the Gazelle.
After finishing seventh in her first start at Saratoga Race Course in a maiden special weight in September, the bay daughter of Malibu Moon won her second start against maiden special weight fillies going a mile at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 12. In one start since, Pure Beauty rallied from last of seven to finish third behind winner Anna’s Promise in a first level, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile-and-a-sixteenth at Gulfstream on March 6. Anna’s Promise next finished second to Five G in last Saturday’s $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) to earn her way into the Kentucky Oaks.
In her three starts, Pure Beauty has earned $69,110 for owners Edward J. Hudson Jr. and Lynne Hudson. She is out of Madam Aamoura, by Zensational and was bred in Florida by Elizabeth LaPierre, Jennifer Given and Spendthrift Stallions LLC.
McGaughey has given the riding assignment to Samuel Marin and they have post seven.
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented in the Gazelle by Vanilla Sundae, a 15 ¾-length winner of a maiden special weight for fillies going a mile at Aqueduct on Feb. 27.
By Gun Runner out of the Empire Maker mare Vanilla Bean Back, Vanilla Sundae was unsuccessful in two previous tries, both on off tracks against special weight maiden fillies. She was sixth in her first race at Saratoga on Aug. 18 going six furlongs in the mud and fourth over a sloppy mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 21.
Owned by Repole Stable, Vanilla Sundae will be ridden from post three by Manny Franco.
Chad Brown brings Ballerina d’Oro into the Gazelle off of a third-place performance behind winer The Queens M G in the Grade 2 Davona Dale going a mile at Gulfstream on March 1. By Medaglia d’Oro, Ballerina d’Oro was also second to Muhimma in the Grade 2 Demoisel going nine furlongs at Aqueduct on Dec. 7.
Brown has given the riding assignment on Ballerina d’Oro to Dylan Davis and they will depart from post two.
Rounding out the field are Late Nite Call and jockey Tyler Conner, Early On with rider Javier Castellano, Deloraine has Mike Smith named to ride, Jose Lezcano has the call on Diriyah and Liam in the Dust will have Joel Rosario up.
Return to the April 2 issue of Wire to Wire
