Beach Flower scores upset in Lady Canterbury Stakes

Beach Flower bloomed at 10-1 in the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes on Saturday night at Canterbury Park.

An overlay as the longest price in a six-horse field, Beach Flower tracked the pacesetting Lovely Loyree in this one-mile turf race for older fillies and mares, took over at the stretch call, and pulled away to win by 3 1/2 lengths under Dean Butler.

Remember Daisy, the 9-5 favorite, cornered awkwardly into the homestretch and had no real late punch but eked out a second-place finish over Lovely Loyree, who was racing for the first time since October and tired after going a half-mile in a moderate 48.24 seconds. The winner was timed in 1:34.96 over firm turf and paid $22.60.

That price is a big number on a filly trained by perennial Canterbury standout Mac Robertson who was disqualified from a victory in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes last fall at Keeneland. While the Bewitch was contested over 1 1/2 miles, Beach Flower was second by a head going one mile on the Canterbury lawn last August in a $50,000 stakes race.

Robertson trains Beach Flower for his father, Hugh Robertson, and John Mentz and Jeff Larson. The 6-year-old Beach Flower, a daughter of Flower Alley and Hogan Beach, by Harlan’s Holiday, won for the eighth time in 35 starts.