Claret Berete dominates the Apple Blossom, Coady Media
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Robert Yates
$1,250,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1)
It was a happy homecoming for Miller Racing’s Claret Beret, who scored a runaway victory in the $1.25 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) before an estimated crowd of 40,000 Saturday at Oaklawn.
Providing jockey Micah Husbands with his first career Grade 1 victory, Claret Beret finished 4 ½ lengths ahead of Nitrogen in the 1 1/16-mile Apple Blossom, one of the country’s biggest two-turn events for older fillies and mares. It was 3 ¾ lengths farther back to third-place finisher Majestic Oops.
The Apple Blossom was a “Win and You’re In” for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) Oct. 31 at Keeneland.
A forward factor from the start, Claret Beret moved to the lead with a three-wide move passing the three-eighths pole. Nitrogen, last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, followed Claret Beret but trailed by roughly three lengths in the upper stretch. Claret Beret, well off the rail, wasn’t threatened in the lane and completed 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in a sharp 1:42.21. Nitrogen was the 4-5 favorite.
Claret Beret, a 5-year-old daughter of white-hot sire Not This Time, made three starts last season at Oaklawn, highlighted by an allowance victory in February. Claret Beret was sold privately following a fifth-place finish in an allowance race in March and transferred to Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. She was exiting a victory in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park.
Majestic Oops finished a length ahead of Regaled, who was followed, in order, by Om N Joy, Nerazurri, Blue Fire, Five G and Dazzling Move.
Claret Beret, an 8-1 shot, paid $19.60, $7 and $4.40. Nitrogen paid $2.60 and $2.10. Majestic Oops paid $3.40.
Racing’s newest millionaire, Claret Beret ($1,115,834) has won seven of 19 starts overall. The Apple Blossom was her second career stakes victory.
Racing resumes Sunday at 12:45 p.m. (CDT).
Apple Blossom Quotes
Winning Jockey Micah Husbands (Claret Beret): “I was loaded by the three-eighths (pole). I was just trying to be as patient (as possible) and not move too early. I was just loaded the whole way. When I asked her down the lane, she just finished it off. This has always been my dream, to ride in these kind of races and I’m just thankful to be living in the dream.”
Winning Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Via Phone (Claret Beret): “She backed up her last race (Feb. 14 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park). Just really proud of her. I thought Micah (Husbands) gave her a really good ride, too, so I’m very proud of him, also. Her first race was big (after being privately purchased last spring) and then we got it wrong. Her first race was a one-turn mile and we kept her at seven-eighths. She didn’t do good at Saratoga and then we were kind of creeping back into form. We ran decent in the Inside Information and thought we were back on track and then we started her in the Royal Delta, not knowing what to expect back at two turns. Once she won that, we realized that, ‘Hey, we were wrong.’ She needs to go two turns. Today, obviously, she justified that, that she’s definitely much better at two turns.”
Second-Place Jockey Jose Ortiz (Nitrogen): “Pretty clean trip out of the 1 hole. I saved ground around the first turn. I was very happy with the pace in front of me, as fast as they went. Approaching the three-eighths pole, I noticed the winner (Claret Beret) was moving better than the two horses inside, so I kind of went outside and followed her. But when Micah (Husbands) asked her, she took off and she found another gear approaching the three-sixteenths pole. It was really impressive. I felt like my filly was running, but I wasn’t able to make up any ground.”
Third Place Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Majestic Oops): “I had a little bit of a complicated trip, between two of those big mares. I had to take a little hold before the half-mile pole, so I lost a little position. That cost me a little momentum, but she still ran huge against some really good fillies. She’s a tiny filly with a big heart.”
$500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3)
Mad House edged 2-1 favorite Roll On Big Joe by a half-length to win Saturday’s six-furlong $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) for older horses.
Paco Lopez rode Mad House to his front-running victory for trainer David VanWinkle and owner James Thares. Roll On Big Joe, bidding for his fourth consecutive stakes victory, finished 2 ¼ lengths ahead of late-running Dreaminblue in the seven-horse field. Defending champion Booth, Tejano Twist, Tough Catch and Wendelssohn completed the order of finish. Maximum Bourbon was scratched.
Mad House was tracked on the outside by Roll On Big Joe from the start. Mad House held a head lead through a :45.12 half-mile and maintained the same margin in midstretch. Mad House was inching away approaching the finish line and stopped the clock in 1:08.93. The track was fast.
Mad House, a 9-1 shot, paid $20.20, $8.60 and $5. Roll On Big Joe paid $4.20 and $2.80. Dreaminblue paid $3.20.
Mad House, a 4-year-old gelded son of Vekoma, raised his career earnings to $603,015 following his sixth victory from 12 starts. Mad House won the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) Sept. 20 at Parx before finishing 14th in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Mad House was exiting an allowance victory in his 2026 debut, March 6 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Thares purchased Mad House for $47,000 at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in training.
Count Fleet Sprint Handicap Quotes
Winning Jockey Paco Lopez (Mad House): “Great horse. It was fairly easy pace. Julien (Leparoux) pushed me a little bit, but my horse tried very hard. It was a very good job by the trainer (David VanWinkle) to give him time to mature. I told him this is a nice horse.”
Winning Trainer David VanWinkle (Mad House): “There was a race we could have run in down at Tampa, but we thought we would try something a little bigger just to see where we’re at with him. So, we decided to come here. I was getting a little nervous (in the stretch run), but I do know that when this horse, Mad House, is on the lead, he’s tough to outrun and he made the lead today and made me feel comfortable for a while. But down the stretch, I was getting nervous. Roll On Big Joe is a very nice horse and Mad House prevailed, so I’m very happy with him.”
Second-Place Jockey Julien Leparoux (Roll On Big Joe): “He ran a good race. We had a good setup for us. He tried very hard in the stretch. Both horses really dug it. We just got beat.”
Fourth-Place Jockey Erik Asmussen (Booth): “He was farther back than I wanted him to be. His game’s to be the pace and didn’t break good this time.”
Fifth-Place Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Tejano Twist): “He didn’t fire today. That’s horse racing.
