Champion Judy the Beauty thriving as broodmare

Just a stone’s throw from her favorite racetrack at trainer Wesley Ward’s Keeneland-adjacent property, champion Judy the Beauty is thriving in her second career as a broodmare. The Ghostzapper mare delivered her first foal, a filly from the first crop of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, on April 21.

“She’s doing great,” Ward said in the Keeneland grandstand Tuesday morning, pointing to his visible barn. “Sitting right behind that barn there with her baby, hanging out. She’s loving life.”

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Judy the Beauty won three of her five career outings at Keeneland, including the Grade 1 Madison Stakes in 2014. Later that year, she won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita to secure her divisional Eclipse Award.

Ward says he has not yet decided if he will keep or sell the mare’s first foal.

“She’s really coming around, she’s beautiful, has the same physical look as Judy does,” Ward said. “I’ll probably decide sometime in the coming spring. She’s a valuable, valuable horse. My oldest son’s in college this year, and I’ve got two right behind him, so you have to consider the financial aspects of everything with a filly as valuable as this one.”

In the meantime, Judy the Beauty is back in foal to classic sire Curlin for a 2018 foal.