Hawksmoor launched her career in Europe with trainer Hugo Palmer, recording her first group success at two in a soggy renewal of the G3 Prestige S. at Goodwood. After a bevy of on-the-board finishes in group company, including a third in last season's G1 Prix Saint-Alary, she came back to take the G2 German 1000 Guineas in June. She was a close-up third in The Curragh's Kilboy Estate S. in July before rounding out her European tenure with a fifth in the mile G1 Matron S. at Leopardstown in September. In her final start for Palmer in the nine-furlong GI Queen Elizabeth II Cup in October, the Lael Stables runner just came up a head short in third behind winner Time and Motion (Tapit). Favored in her seasonal finale for Arnaud Delacour, she faded to sixth after making a middle move in the GII Ms Revere S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 25. With the Beaugay moved to the Widener turf because of the excessive rains, the Irish bred broke quickly and moved to head affairs with little prompting. Content to rate through pedestrian fractions of :25.45 and :51.20, Hawksmoor was asked for more turning for home and fought off Time and Motion through the stretch. Despite being collared late by the closing favorite Dacita (Chi), Hawksmoor fought back courageously to eke out her first U.S. success. Time and Motion rounded out the trifecta.
“Early in the race she was very relaxed and very comfortable on the lead,” affirmed winning rider Julien Leparoux. “I tried to get her going pretty early. She fought back when she felt Dacita coming on the outside. She was very comfortable on it [the yielding turf]. I was confident about that, but it was a good bunch of fillies behind her.”
Despite returning from over six months on the bench, Delacour was encouraged by the weather forecast for the day's event.
“I was kind of hoping we could have soft turf and, obviously, the weather was with us,” admitted Delacour. “I told Julien I didn't think there was that much speed. She's obviously has run very well on the soft before in that kind of way [forwardly placed], so we were trying to do the same thing today. Towards the finish, Dacita came on like she was going to pass us, but our filly is a little deceiving. She was kind of looking around a little bit, that's why she had blinkers, but she kept coming and she tried hard. I was real pleased with that. I was very happy she put on a good performance off the layoff.”
Regarding what may lay ahead for the European bred, Delacour added, “I'll have to see how she comes back. For sure, we'll and see what makes sense. She's a pretty versatile filly in regards to distance. In Europe, she's run well from seven [furlongs] to a mile and an eighth or even longer. So, we've got options.”
Pedigree Notes:
In addition to Hawksmoor, unplaced Bridal Dance (Ire) is responsible for three-year-old Magical Fire (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}), who showed enough precocity at two to finish second in last season's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. Bridal Dance currently has the unraced two-year-old colt Salsa Verde (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) and an unnamed yearling filly by Dark Angel (Ire). Out of Feather Bride (Ire), Bridal Dance is a half sibling to Millennium Dragon (GB) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}), winner of the GIII Appleton H. and runner up in six graded stakes, including the GI Manhattan H. This represents the extended family of U.S. Horse of the Year and Champion Turf Horse Kotashaan (FR) (Darshaan {GB}).
Saturday, Belmont Park
BEAUGAY S.-GIII, $150,000, BEL, 5-13, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:48.91, yl.
1–HAWKSMOOR (IRE), 119, f, 4, by Azamour (Ire)
1st Dam: Bridal Dance (Ire), by Danehill Dancer (Ire)
2nd Dam: Feather Bride (Ire), by Groom Dancer
3rd Dam: Bubbling Danseuse, by Arctic Tern
(€80,000 Ylg '14 TISEP). O-Lael Stables; B-Tenuta Genzianella (IRE); T-Arnaud Delacour; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 12-4-0-5, $418,739. Click for theeNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A.[bullet ad=”itm-g2-g3″]2–Dacita (Chi), 123, m, 6, Scat Daddy–Daja (Chi), by Seeker's Reward. O-Sheep Pond Partners & Bradley Thoroughbreds; B-Haras Paso Nevado (CHI); T-Chad C Brown. $30,000. [bullet ad=”bradley-comerunwithus”]3–Time and Motion, 123, f, 4, Tapit–Ellie's Moment, by Kris S. O/B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY); T-James J Toner. $15,000. [bullet ad=”darbydan-shell”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”]Margins: HD, 3/4, NK. Odds: 3.80, 2.05, 2.55.
Also Ran: Rainha Da Bateria, All in Fun, My Sweet Girl. Scratched: On Leave, Miss Temple City.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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