Bullseye Beauty prevails in Holiday Inaugural at Turfway
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Bullseye Beauty took command with a looping run before turning back a sustained bid from Aug Lutes in posting her second career stakes victory Saturday night in the $99,300 Holiday Inaugural at Turfway Park.
Bullseye Beauty prevailed by a neck in capturing the Holiday Inaugural, a six-furlong Tapeta race that kicked off the 2021-22 stakes schedule at Turfway in Florence, Ky. Ridden by Joe Talamo for owner-breeder Neil Jones and trainer Andrew McKeever, the 3-year-old daughter of Dialed In paid $7.20 as second choice in a field of nine fillies and mares after finishing in 1:09.19.
This was the fourth win from eight starts for Bullseye Beauty and came nearly four months after her breakthrough score in the Lady Erie at Presque Isle Downs in mid-August. She is now 3 for 3 over synthetic surfaces.
Aug Lutes, also 3, loomed boldly at the furlong pole as the 2-1 favorite, but steady left-handed urging from Talamo got Bullseye Beauty home just ahead. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Lady Edith in third.
The Holiday Inaugural led off a restored stakes schedule that will culminate April 2 with the annual Turfway showcase, the Jeff Ruby Steaks, a 100-point qualifier for the Kentucky Derby. The next stakes is the My Charmer on Saturday.
For the second straight winter, fans are not permitted at Turfway as the facility continues to undergo a total overhaul expected for completion some time next summer.