Despite being parked past the first quarter, Seaside Ubeaut put in an extraordinarily game effort to take the $985,916 Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (Grade 1) by three lengths in 1:50.1 with Dexter Dunn at the lines for trainer Andrew Harris on Friday, Oct. 23 at Eldorado Scioto Downs.
Cleveland Darby (Chris Page) left hard from the inside with Too Pink To Pass (Lauren Tritton) alongside battling for early position before tucking in the pocket as Cowboy Candy (Jason Bartlett) pressed forward to take command in a contested :26.4 first quarter. Meanwhile, Seaside Ubeaut was hot on Cowboy Candy's heels after leaving to her outside from post eight and raced hard to gain the lead in front of the grandstand.
Seaside Ubeaut remained clear on top through fractions of :55.3 and 1:23.1 as the favourite Aceandaten (Doug McNair) loomed overland before storming home in a race-best :27 to easily hold off her rivals. Cowboy Candy chased at the pylons in second-place while Cleveland Darby finished third ahead of Aceandaten and Too Pink To Pass.
“She’s progressed really well throughout the year and always raced on the big track, but she has high speed and she won with really good authority,” said Dunn. “She absolutely has matured into her ability. She had to mature a bit and learn to be a racehorse but she’s really at the top now. She was travelling so good in the last turn and she accelerated so quickly in the last turn.”
Seaside Ubeaut turned in her fifth win of the year in eight starts. The $694,444 buy from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale is owned by the Punisher 11 Stable of Freehold, New Jersey and upped her career earnings to $958,492 with this latest triumph.
“She just got better and better all year long and Dexter has taught her a lot,” said Harris of the filly who entered the Breeders Crown following back-to-back 1:49.2 closing victories in the Kentucky Championship Series final and a division of the Grade 3 Bluegrass Stakes at The Red Mile. “She always had the talent, but Dexter took the time to teach her. She’s got speed and I just leave it to Dex to get her to the wire. I can’t thank everyone enough who has been supportive of this filly. We were blessed to have this moment and race here tonight.”
The win gave Dunn his 24th Breeders Crown, good for sole position of seventh place among all drivers in the 43-year history of the event. It was the second for Harris, William Pollock and Bruce Areman, who share ownership of Seaside Ubeaut as Punisher 11 Stable.
Sired by Downbytheseaside, Seaside Ubeaut is out of the Sweet Lou mare Warrawee Ubeaut, a two-time Breeders Crown champion and Dan Patch Award winner. She was bred by Burke Racing Stable, Crawford Farms Racing, J And T Silva - Purnel And Libby and Phillip Collura.
Sent off as the 4-1 third choice, Seaside Ubeaut paid $10 to win.
The Breeders Crown championships can be watched via the live stream below. The Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace was the ninth race on the card at the 4:30:25 mark.
(With files from Breeders Crown)