After scaring off rivals, Mystic Lake romps in three-horse Dashing Beauty
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Mystic Lake, a 4-year-old filly trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., did most of the work to win the $125,000 Dashing Beauty Stakes before she stepped in the starting gate.
Three runners in the field of six scratched, leaving her with two rivals to put away in a 5 3/4-length victory at Delaware Park on Thursday. Even in a full field, Mystic Lake would have been an overwhelming favorite in the six-furlong Dashing Beauty, and cutting the field in half only made the job easier.
After a poor start in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at Churchill Downs in early May, Joseph decided to put the three-time graded stakes winner in listed stakes company. A comfortable two-length victory in the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park later that month dispelled any concerns of regression, the only thing that might have knocked her down a peg entering the Dashing Beauty.
An also-ran in one race can be a titan in another, and Mystic Lake was looming large long before she stepped foot on the track Thursday. The 3-5 morning-line favorite went off at 1-20 odds leaving the gate.
For the second straight time at Delaware, trainer Linda Rice decided not to ship 5-year-old mare St. Benedicts Prep to scrap with the heavy favorite entered by Joseph. The second choice in the Dashing Beauty was also a contender in the $100,000 Rehoboth in late May, and Rice’s scratch there allowed Joseph and 4-year-old filly R Disaster to earn a much easier 6 1/2-length victory.
Two outsiders, Admiral Hopper and Girls Weekend, also scratched from the Dashing Beauty on Saturday, leaving a pair of 3-year-old fillies to scrap with Mystic Lake. Local stakes winner Safe Trust and third-time starter M J’s Yoshida both pushed the issue early, but neither rival seriously impeded the older standout.
Taking a short lead under jockey Jorge Ruiz, Mystic Lake completed the opening quarter-mile in 23.19. M J’s Yoshida chased on the outside, while Safe Trust shot up the rail in a brief bid for the lead entering the far turn. But by the time she completed the half-mile in 46 seconds, Mystic Lake was already ahead by a length, swinging wide into the stretch and driving away.
M J’s Yoshida, trained by Maxine Correa, managed a slight rally for second in her stakes debut. She finished 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Safe Trust, who decided to go for broke inside of Mystic Lake and paid the consequences. Mystic Lake finished the six-furlong sprint in 1:10.37, paying $2.10 to win.
Joseph will likely keep his filly in listed stakes company for at least one more start, as he said that he wants to bring her back to Charles Town next month. Mystic Lake ran one of the best races of her career winning the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks last year, and the $250,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon offers identical seven-furlong conditions for older fillies and mares on the same card.
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