LAUREL, MD –Sophomore filly Hello Beautiful, a two-time juvenile stakes winner at Laurel Park, turned in a sharp half-mile breeze Sunday morning ahead of her anticipated start in the six-furlong Prioress (G2) Sept. 5 at Saratoga. With jockey Kendrick Carmouche aboard, Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stable and Magic City Stables’ Hello Beautiful went four furlongs in 47.70 seconds over Saratoga’s main track, second-fastest of 22 horses.
Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell said Carmouche will ride Hello Beautiful in the Prioress. Hello Beautiful shipped in to the Saratoga barn of trainer Brad Cox, for whom Russell worked in Kentucky before going out on her own.
“She went nicely. Kendrick worked her and he said it was a very nice work. It was uneventful and she did it nicely and he said she had something left in the tank, so that’s good,” Russell said. “It’s very comforting. Now we just have to hope that she comes out of it well and she has a good week.” Hello Beautiful won the Maryland Million Lassie and Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship to cap her 2-year-old season. She opened this year June 1 finishing off the board in a turf allowance at Laurel, returned to the dirt for an allowance romp 19 days later, and most recently ran last after being wiped out at the start of the Audubon Oaks Aug. 9 at Ellis Park.
Other horses being pointed to the Prioress include Frank’s Rockette, Kimari, Reagan’s Edge, Sound Machine and Up in Smoke. Russell said Michael Dubb, The Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables’ Wondrwherecraigis exited his fourth-place finish in Saturday’s Amsterdam (G2) at Saratoga in good order. The six-furlong Amsterdam for 3-year-olds marked the graded debut for the Munnings gelding, who launched his career with back-to-back wins this winter and spring at Laurel before running third in the June 10 Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont Park.
“He’s ok. He actually had a bit of an excuse, so we have something to work on,” Russell said. “We’re just going to give him two weeks and just let him kind of catch his breath and then regroup. I think he ran hard, but those were some nice horses. I don’t think it’s anything to be ashamed of. We’re proud of him.”
Photo Credit: MJC /Jim McCue
Press Release: MJC
