Late-running No Such Word, making her stakes debut for trainer Cindy Jones, upset 11-10 choice Beautician in the $125,000 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies at Oaklawn Park March 13 (VIDEO).
Brereton C. Jones' fast-improving Kentucky homebred made it back-to-back wins at Oaklawn Park this meet. The daughter of Canadian Frontier--Muskoka Ice, by It's Freezing, closing gamely on the outside, seized the lead in the stretch for jockey Terry Thompson and drew away to score by 2 1/2 lengths over Beautician, making her 2010 bow for trainer Ken McPeek. The final time for the 1 1/16-mile main track event was 1:43.74 over a fast track.
The Honeybee is the major stakes prep at Oaklawn for its $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) at 1 1/16 miles on April 2.
Martha Washington Stakes winner Decelerator went to the lead for jockey Corey Nakatani, who replaced Thompson on the Wayne Lukas trainee. Decelerator established command through swift quarter-mile fractions of :22.67, :47.06, and 1:12.28 and took the lead into the homestretch. Beautician, angling out for the drive under Robby Albarado after tracking the pacesetter from mid-pack along the inside, challenged Decelerator. But No Such Word, closing on the far outside after rallying from sixth in the nine-horse field, swept past both foes to win as much the best.
Beautician, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 6, held on for second. Tap Tap Tapping, 4 1/4 lengths farther back, ran on for third with jockey Frederic Lenclud, edging the 122-pound high weight Decelerator by a half-length. Tiz Miz Sue, Bell's Shoes, Bella Diamante, Dixie Hearth, and Laura Babe completed the order.
No Such Word won a $40,000 optional claiming allowance race at one mile over a sloppy track by 2 1/2 lengths at Oaklawn Feb. 14. The Honeybee victory, worth $75,000, boosted the bay filly's bankroll to $138,213 with a record of 3-0-1 in eight starts.
Sent off as the third choice, No Such Word carried 117 pounds and paid $15, $5.80, and $4.20 and topping a $51.80 exacta. Beautician, who raced without blinkers off after stopping in the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) in her last start Dec. 20, returned $3.20 and $3. Maiden winner Tap Tap Tapping paid $4.60 to show in her stakes debut for trainer David Vance.
No Such Word comes home strong in the Honeybee.
Coady Photography