Last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winning connections will try to recreate some more magic in the blue grass state when Zillah Reddam's Renee's Titan starts in the $150,000 Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) April 14 at Keeneland.
Renee's Titan is owned by Zillah Reddam, who with husband J. Paul Reddam campaigned 2012 Derby winner I'll Have Another . The filly is trained by Doug O'Neill and will be ridden by Mario Gutierrez, the same trainer and jockey for I'll Have Another.
After opening the season with the first stakes win of her career, taking the 6 1/2-furlong Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) Jan. 21 at Santa Anita Park, Renee's Titan tried the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I). She finished off the board in that race, which was won by last year's champion juvenile filly Beholder. Renee's Titan was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. John Liviakis.
In the about seven-furlong Beaumont for 3-year-old fillies, Renee's Titan will return to one-turn racing, which is where she has earned two of her three stakes placings.
The Beaumont, which carries 34 qualifying points to the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) with 20 going to the winner, will go as the eighth race on Sunday's nine-race program with a 4:42 p.m. (EDT) post time.
Other top contenders for the Beaumont include Swift Thoroughbreds, Vintage Thoroughbreds, and Michael Kisber's Premier Steps and Columbine Stable's Magical Moon.
Trained by Chad Brown and to be ridden by Javier Castellano, Premier Steps was group stakes-placed last year in Europe and in her lone start of 2013 won the Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Magical Moon finished third in last fall's Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) in her lone start over Keeneland's main track. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Magical Moon will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik.
$150,000 Beaumont Stakes (gr. II, race 8, approximate post time 4:42 p.m.) 3YO fillies, about 7F, Polytrack
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Cash Is Queen (KY), R. Albarado, 118, S. Lyster
2. Premier Steps (IRE), J. Castellano, 118, C. Brown
3. My Special J's (KY), S. Bridgmohan, 120, K. Gorder
4. Judy In Disguise (GB), M. Smith, 118, S. Callaghan
5. Lady Banks (ON), J. Rocco Jr., 118, J. Lawrence II
6. Magical Moon (MD), R. Napravnik, 118, A. Stall Jr.
7. Irish Presence (KY), G. Stevens, 118, E. Harty
8. Allaboutcaroline (KY), J. Leparoux, 118, H. Motion
9. Fearless Jacq (IRE), A. Garcia, 118, J. Terranova II
10. Ciao Bella Luna (KY), J. Rosario, 118, J. Hollendorfer
11. Renee's Titan, M. Gutierrez, 120, D. O'Neill
Renee's Titan takes on 10 in the Beaumont Stakes.
Benoit Photography