Divine Dawn faces other speed in Beaumont

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Larry Jones, who already owns a pair of Kentucky Oaks victories, holds a strong hand this year with Fair Grounds Oaks winner I’m a Chatterbox and Ashland Stakes winner Lovely Maria in his barn at Keeneland preparing for the filly classic.

Jones won’t add another Oaks starter to his arsenal in Sunday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland, but he could pick up another graded stakes victory in the division as his stakes-placed Divine Dawn is among the standouts in the field.

Though the Beaumont, at about seven furlongs, is the final race offering qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks, it most likely will not produce a starter this year since the 10 points awarded to the winner won’t put any of the seven entrants near the top 14, the maximum field size.

Divine Dawn, a debut winner going six furlongs at Keeneland last October, finished fifth behind I’m a Chatterbox in the Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds after being bumped at the start. That was the only route try for the filly, who subsequently was second to Mizz Money in a pair of turf sprints, most recently beaten just a head after leading into the stretch in the Allen LaCombe Memorial on March 7 at Fair Grounds.

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Divine Dawn and regular rider Kerwin Clark drew the rail for the Beaumont. The filly won her debut on the lead but sat just off the pace in her other outings. She might need that tractability with plenty of speed in the Beaumont, including the California invader Fantastic Style, drawn in post 2 under John Velazquez.

Fantastic Style, trained by Bob Baffert, was second in her debut last December before winning both of her starts this year. This is the first start outside of California for the confirmed front-runner.

Sweet Success and Harlan’s Destiny emerge from the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks on March 21 at Turfway Park, where they finished second and fourth. Sweet Success won a Gulfstream Park maiden race by a neck after a spirited duel before trying winners for the first time in the Bourbonette. The Rusty Arnold trainee set the fractions and led into the stretch before being bested three-quarters of a length by Don’t Leave Me. Harlan’s Destiny swept a trio of stakes on dirt at Charles Town last season for trainer Wayne Catalano before her fourth on a synthetic surface in the Bourbonette.

The front-running Miss Ella, trained by Graham Motion, and Delightful Joy, trained by Chad Brown, both step up in class after debut wins at Gulfstream Park. Delightful Joy rallied from just off the leaders to take a key race, with both the runner-up and third-place finisher winning next out.

Key contenders

Divine Dawn (Last 3 Beyers: 80-69-75)

* Mizz Money, who beat her in her two most recent starts, goes in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes earlier on the Sunday card.

Fantastic Style (Last 3 Beyers: 82-93-83)

* First start away from Santa Anita for this front-runner.

* Owns the highest career Beyer Speed Figure in the field with a 93 in her maiden win.

Sweet Success (Last 3 Beyers: 72-88-76)

* Second in her graded stakes debut after leading into the stretch. Now shortens up from a mile.

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Harlan’s Destiny (Last 3 Beyers: 67-73-74)

* Fourth in her 2015 debut on synthetic. Bounced back with a pair of solid works at Keeneland, most recently going four furlongs in a bullet 46.60 seconds April 8.

Delightful Joy (Last Beyer: 85)

* Owns the top last-out Beyer in the field for her debut score at a mile Feb. 8 at Gulfstream.

* Garden Princess and Sweetgrass, second and third in her last race, both were maiden winners next out. Sweetgrass then won an allowance at Keeneland.