BY BROCK SHERIDAN
G W’s Girl and Stunner make up a two-pronged attack for Florida breeders in Sunday’s $400,000 Middleground Capital Beaumont, a Grade 2 contest for 3-year-old fillies set for seven furlongs at Keeneland. G W’s Girl is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line while Stunner threatens with 3-1 program odds.
G W’s Girl travels to Keeneland from Oaklawn Park, where she has won her last two starts, both in six-furlong stakes, for trainer Greg Compton and owners Greg Massenelli and Margaret Mollestons, who race as Mag Racing LLC. At Oakawn, she won the $150,000 Mockingbird by a length on Jan. 4 and the $150,000 Dixie Belle by nearly three lengths on Feb. 24.
After winning her first start going five furlongs on the turf at Delaware Park in September, G W’s Girl suffered her only loss, finishing fifth against her male counterparts on the Keeneland turf, but just two lengths behind winner Governor Sam in the $238,000 Indian Summer at five-and-a-half furlongs on Oct. 6.
G W’s Girl has earned $195,975 in her four races, providing a good return on her $130,000 purchase price. Mag Racing purchased the chestnut daughter of Munnings out of the Triple J Investments consignment at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale of 2-year-olds in training. Out of Essence of Audre, by Exchange Rate, G W’s Girl was bred in Florida by Larry Alan Wynn and was also an $80,000 yearling at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale of yearlings.
(G W’s Girl’s Under Tack Video / Walking Video)
Jose Ortiz will ride G W’s Girl from post three in the field of six.
Stunner has been a threat in each of her five career starts for trainer Brad Cox, never finishing out of the top two.
After winning her second race by six-and-a-quarter lengths when facing special weight maiden fillies during the Belmont at Big A meet in September, Stunner won the $150,000 Tempted there by three-and-a-half lengths in her next start on Nov. 2.
Cox returned the bay filly to her native Florida to finish second to My Denysse in the $300,000 My Dear Girl, the final leg of the filly division of the 2024 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In one race this year at Gulfstream on Feb. 1, Stunner led the Grade 3 Forward Gal in deep stretch before finishing second to stablemate Eclatant, who she faces again Sunday.
Stunner is by Girvin out of Spun Beauty by Hard Spun and was bred in Florida by the late Brereton C. Jones. An earner of $245,200 for Larry, Nanci and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods and Church Street Stables, Stunner was a $190,000 yearling purchase by bloodstock agents Alex Solis II and Jason Litt at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Sale.
Stunner has post five and will be ridden by Flavien Prat for the first time since her maiden win.
The 8-5 morning line favorite is Eclatant, who also makes her first start since the Forward Gal.
A homebred for Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables LLC, Eclatant has won three of four career starts with her only loss coming in the Grade 3 Golden Rod won by Good Cheer at Churchill Downs in November. She broke her maiden at Churchill in June then won a first level, $100,000 optional claiming at Keeneland in October.
By Into Mischief out of Downside Scenario, by Scat Daddy, Eclatant has earned $260,560 from four races.
She has jockey Luis Saez and post one.
Other fillies set for the Beaumont are Volleyballprincess with Eliseo Ruiz in the saddle, Continuity has Ben Curtis named to ride and Verity and jockey Vincent Cheminaud.
Return to the April 4 issue of Wire to Wire
