Blinkers on Racing’s Turbulent Descent easily grabbed command of Sunday’s
$150,000 Grade 2
Beaumont
and drew off in the stretch to be five lengths clear under the wire. Despite
jumping a break in the shadow of the rail, the Mike Puype trainee never broke
stride as she powered home under jockey David Flores to finish about seven
Polytrack furlongs on Keeneland’s Beard course in 1:26.
“I’ll be talking with (co-owner Scott Sherwood of Blinkers on Racing) after
the race, and I’m sure we’ll go on with our plan of going to the (June 11 Grade
1) Acorn (at Belmont Park) with her and off to the (August 6 Grade 1) Test at
Saratoga,” Puype said. “We’re going to try to win the Eclipse with her this
year. You don’t have to go a mile and an eighth to get the Eclipse. She’s an
awfully good filly, and she’s going to put up a resume this year that I think is
going to be worthy of that kind of award.
“She’s an awfully good horse, and the game needs horses like her to bring
people out and see races. We’re happy to have her. I’m appreciative of the
owners and everyone who’s given me the opportunity.”
Gran Lioness led the way early in the Beaumont, setting fractions of :23 1/5
and :47 while tracked by Honey Chile a little behind and to her outside. Flores
had Turbulent Descent settled in a good stalking position in behind and just to
the outside of Aide, and never blinked as Coax Liberty wrangled her way between
the two.
Turbulent Descent took off after Gran Lioness and Honey Chile with Flores
still sitting chilly in the saddle, rounding the turn four wide and emerging on
even terms to start the stretch run. A shake of the reins was all it took for
the bay lass to take off for home. She added a little pizzazz when imitating a
jumper inside the sixteenth pole, but maintained her momentum to add yet another
graded score to her tally.
“I want to thank the owners and Mike for giving me the opportunity to ride
this kind of horse,” Flores said. “She’s awesome. She’s a classy girl. I just
relaxed in the post parade and made sure I was really tied on like crazy, just
hang on. I just put her in a spot where I was very confident and just made sure
I had a clear spot at the top of the stretch.
“Mike said try to win without the whip but I had to hit her a couple of times
because she got to lugging in a little bit. When she accelerated, it was pretty
much over. It was fun.”
Turbulent Descent paid $3.20, $2.60 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite, and was
followed home by Honey Chile, Coax Liberty, Aide, Tell a Kelly and Gran Lioness.
A $160,000 OBS April two-year-old purchase by her connections, she was bred by
Ocala Stud in Florida.
Turbulent Descent is the first stakes winner out of the unraced Forestry mare
Roger’s Sue, who has since foaled an unnamed juvenile colt by Trippi and a 2011
colt by In Summation. The three-year-old filly’s black-type victories include
the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet and Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, and she also
captured the Moccasin in only her second career start last November. Undefeated
for her first three races, the bay filled the runner-up spot in the Grade 1 Las
Virgenes to start the season, but has quickly got back on track with her Santa
Anita Oaks victory and this score. She’s now earned $618,350 to go along with
her 6-5-1-0 career mark.
With her third dam being multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Gorgeous,
Turbulent Descent comes from the family of last year’s Group 1 Falmouth heroine
Music Show as well as 2009 Grade 1 Ruffian and Grade 2 Delaware victress Swift
Temper. Turbulent Descent’s fourth dam is Broodmare of the Year and Canadian
champion Kamar, who would go on in the breeding shed to produce the likes of
Canadian champion and sire Key to the Moon as well as 1990 Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks
queen Seaside Attraction.
Kamar is also the granddam of European Horse of the Year and stallion
Fantastic Light, champion two-year-old filly Golden Attraction, Grade 1-winning
sire Cape Town and Grade 3-scoring stallion Cape Canaveral.