2018 Eclipse Awards: A Raving Beauty

No one could beat A Raving Beauty in Grade 1 races at a mile on turf in 2018.

Twice, A Raving Beauty started at a mile, and both times she prevailed in prestigious races for fillies and mares on grass – the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes on June 9 at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes on Oct. 6 at Keeneland.

A Raving Beauty finished the season with a game third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. For her campaign, A Raving Beauty has been recognized as a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding turf female of 2018.

Bred in Germany, where she won two minor stakes in 2017, A Raving Beauty joined trainer Chad Brown’s stable in the winter of 2017-18. A Raving Beauty was second in the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio in Italy in October 2017 in her final start in Europe.

A Raving Beauty recorded her most convincing win of the year in her first start in the United States – a three-length score in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf May 12 at Belmont Park. Four weeks later, A Raving Beauty was the 7-2 second choice in a talented field of eight in the $700,000 Just a Game Stakes.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., A Raving Beauty was third for the first half-mile and took the lead in the stretch, fighting off a late threat from Proctor’s Ledge to win by three-quarters of a length.

Owned by Michel Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables, A Raving Beauty was arguably unlucky not to win the Grade 1 Diana Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on July 21 at Saratoga. She was fourth on the backstretch and encountered traffic with a quarter-mile remaining. A Raving Beauty recovered to close well, finishing third, three-quarters of a length behind stablemate Sistercharlie.

A month later, A Raving Beauty was a disappointing fourth at 9-10 in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga, finishing three lengths behind Quidura.

It was a short-lived losing streak. In the $400,000 First Lady Stakes, A Raving Beauty took command from the start and was fully extended to hold off Dona Bruja, prevailing by a head. The win earned A Raving Beauty a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at 1 3/8 miles on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.

:: 2018 Eclipse Finalists: Profiles and photos for all categories

While the race may have been longer than A Raving Beauty’s preferred distance, the performance was outstanding. Dismissed at 11-1, A Raving Beauty took the lead shortly after the start and held an advantage of 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. She was unable to hold off stablemate Sistercharlie and the European shipper Wild Illusion, but still finished a game third, beaten a length.

A day later, A Raving Beauty was sold for $2 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall mixed sale to Haruya Yoshida of Japan.