Beautyandthebeast wins Las Palmas

ARCADIA, Calif. - Beautyandthebeast continued her outstanding fall campaign with a hard-fought win in Sunday's $150,000 at the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting.

Beautyandthebeast ($6) closed from sixth in the final half-mile to win by a head over Clinet. Quemar, a 23-1 shot, finished third in the field of eight fillies and mares.

Ridden by Corey Nakatani, Beautyandthebeast finished a mile on turf in 1:33.33. Beautyandthebeast was more than eight lengths behind pacesetter Sandra's Rose on the backstretch before moving into contention on the turn.

The Grade 2 Las Palmas Handicap was Beautyandthebeast's second stakes win of the meeting, following a victory in the restricted Swingtime Stakes on Oct. 4.

Beautyandthebeast has won six of 14 starts and $275,184 for Abergwaun Farm and trainer Neil Drysdale. Clinet, 4, was making her first start since February, overcoming a leg injury suffered on a horse walker in England in the spring.

The first two finishers are candidates for the $500,000 Matriarch Stakes over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park on Nov. 26.

*Earlier in the card, Moth Ball ($69.80) rallied along the rail in the stretch to pull an upset in the $100,000 on the hillside turf course.

Ridden by Michael Baze, Moth Ball was always near the front, and did not take the lead until the final sixteenth, winning by a neck over Apalachee Tiger. Moth Ball finished about 6 1-2 furlongs on turf in 1:11.61.

A winner of four of 22 starts and $166,490, Moth Ball ended a 13-race losing streak in the Grade 3 Morvich Handicap.