Beau Recall powers past Newspaperofrecord for repeat in Distaff Turf Mile

In the 2019 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill, a mare named Beau Recall ran the race of her life, flying past Got Stormy to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Well, Beau Recall was belle of the ball again in 2020, flying past odds-on favorite Newspaperofrecord to win the Grade 2, $500,000 Distaff Turf Mile by 1 1/2 lengths.

Manny Franco rode Beau Recall for the hot Brad Cox barn and owners Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing. This was Franco’s first ride on Beau Recall, and Cox’s instructions were simple: “He just told me to let her be comfortable and save some ground, get her clear on the outside to make her run,” Franco said.

Done, done, and done.

While Beau Recall’s new rider was doing his thing near the back of the field, Javier Castellano, the first jockey other than Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride Newspaperofrecord in a race, had gotten into a fight up front. The battle was with his mount. Newspaperofrecord traveled along at a moderate pace, going 23.99 seconds for the first quarter and 47.93 to the half, but pulled for her head and never looked comfortable. She turned for home working to fend off pace-pressing Juliet Foxtrot, another member of the Cox barn, and had no resistance when Beau Recall attacked.

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Franco had let his mount start to rev at about the three-eighths pole, spun, per Cox’s instructions, to the center of the course after turning for home, and Beau Recall, a 6-year-old mare of modest proportions, started turning her legs over at an alarming rate. She burst past the chasing group, jumped on Newspaperofrecord at the eighth pole, and kept it up to the finish, winning with speed to spare. Newspaperofrecord finished one length in front of third-place La Signare as Juliet Foxtrot faded, barely holding fourth over Daddy Is a Legend. Belle Laura finished last; Harmless and She’sonthewarpath were scratched.

Beau Recall was timed in 1:35.39 for one mile on firm turf and paid $18.60. The Irish-bred mare is by Sir Prancelot and out of Greta d’Argent, by Great Commotion. She won for the eighth time in 29 starts and was transformed after being transferred to Cox late in 2018. Beau Recall had won just once, a nose decision in the Yellow Ribbon last August, since her 2019 Distaff Turf Mile, though she was a good second behind Rushing Fall in the Just A Game on June 27, and Cox felt like his mare had no chance when wide behind a slow pace Aug. 8 back in California for the Yellow Ribbon. Even facing formidable Newspaperofrecord, so impressive in two recent wins, Cox during an interview earlier this week spoke bullishly about his mare’s chance. He must have recalled the 2019 Distaff Turf Mile.