Well-Regarded Beasley Returns a Winner at the Spa

6th-SAR, $85,000, Alw, 8-17, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.72, ft.
BEASLEY (c, 3, Shackleford–In Truth, by Quiet American) was making his first start since a fourth-place effort at 23-5 behind future GI Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (Tapit) in the GII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 11. He needed the length of the Saratoga stretch to do it, but overcame a wide run on the far turn to tag 8-5 chalk Hard Scramble (Hard Spun) on the line Thursday at the Spa. Off without incident from the inside stall, Beasley, the 2.45-1 second choice was predictably outsprinted in the early stages and raced last but one while well out into the track approaching the turn. Left with no choice but to take the overland route, Beasley came with a bold bid, but so too did Hard Scramble, and the duo was six and five wide, respectively, off the home corner. Hard Scramble clung on determinedly into the final furlong and looked like he was going to get there, but Beasley ground it out and was shoved across the line first by Junior Alvarado, while covering 18 more feet than the runner-up, per Trakus data. Beasley was bred by Nancy Shuford, who was represented as a breeder over the weekend by GI Arlington Million hero Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid), and sold for $65,000 as a KEENOV weanling in 2014. The bay was resold for $340,000 at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. A half-brother to SW Mr Palmer (Pulpit), the winner is out of an unraced half-sister to Hot Novel (Mari's Book), the dam of MGISW Behrens (Pleasant Colony). Beasley is a half-brother to Conspiracy (Giant's Causeway), SP-PR, $324,409; and Mr Palmer (Pulpit), SW, $641,693. He has a yearling half-sister by Trappe Shot and a weanling full-brother. In Truth was most recently bred to Mineshaft. Sales history: $65,000 Wlg '14 KEENOV; $340,000 Ylg '15 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, $113,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Lee Lewis & Mark B Grier; B-Nancy Shuford (KY); T-Mark A Hennig.[bullet ad=”elmtree-salesgrad”][bullet ad=”elm-tree-hip-1276-keesep2017″][bullet ad=”hill-n-dale-12-sis-prodicious-facts-at-keenov-2017″]