Dream It Is back from injury in Beaumont Stakes

With five of the nine 3-year-old fillies in Sunday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Beaumont at Keeneland being unraced this year, the outcome may be decided by fitness as much as raw ability.

Ascertaining preparedness is no easy task with comebackers converging from all over the country. Happy Like a Fool has trained at Turfway Park leading up to her return; Kelly’s Humor comes to Keeneland after breezing at Fair Grounds; Dream It Is did most of her legwork at the Webb Carroll Training Center in South Carolina; Gas Station Sushi hails from Santa Anita; and Summer Sunday comes to Keeneland by way of Palm Meadows in South Florida.

The Beaumont, at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet, appears to be loaded with speed.

Swift workout times from graded stakes winner Dream It Is do suggest she is coming into the race in top order. She went 3 for 3 early last season, and needed the second half of the year off due to a hairline fracture of a hind ankle discovered after she romped to a nine-length victory in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga on July 21.

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Brought to Keeneland last month, she took a spin over the main track last Sunday, breezing a half-mile in 47.20 seconds, the fourth-fastest of 46 works at the distance. “She seems good and fit,” said trainer Barbara Minshall.

Gas Station Sushi also shipped into Keeneland a bit early, recording a half-mile breeze in 48.80 seconds Tuesday. That followed a workout March 26 at Santa Anita, where she went five furlongs in 1:02.80 under a hard hold. She quickly distanced herself from her workmate once cut loose on the gallop-out after the wire.

Gas Station Sushi won her only start by 3 1/2 lengths at Del Mar last August. Uppercut also has made only one start, leading throughout Feb. 17 at Santa Anita.

The jockeys who rode Gas Station Sushi and Uppercut in California have come to Keeneland and retained their mounts on these talented prospects. Corey Nakatani has the mount on Gas Station Sushi, while Mike Smith rides Uppercut. Those two fillies are 4-1 on the morning line, just behind 3-1 favorite Dream It Is and 7-2 second favorite Happy Like a Fool.

Luis Saez, coming off a meet at Gulfstream Park where he set a record for wins, lands the mount on Dream It Is, replacing Luis Contreras, who was aboard for her three victories.