Hot Beach breaks like a shot and is never seriously threatened in Limestone Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Hot Beach cruised under the line with her bay face and jockey Jose Ortiz’s mostly white silks spotless after leading every step of the way on a sloppy track for a four-length win in the off-the-turf Limestone Stakes on Friday at Keeneland.

Hot Beach, an Omaha Beach filly trained by Brian Lynch for Boardshorts Stable, was the second also-eligible in an overflow field of 14 3-year-old fillies entered for the Limestone, originally carded for 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The $250,000 race for 3-year-old fillies was taken off the track in midafternoon after days of rain in the Lexington area and had several of its anticipated favorites scratch, including Amidst Waves and Crimson Advocate.

Among the eight fillies left to start, Hot Beach ($3.98), who had raced solely on dirt in her four previous starts, was made the favorite. She showed good form sprinting last year, having won the Ellis Park Debutante in August, stretching out moderately to finish third in the Grade 3 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs, and finishing second in the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland.

When the gates opened, Hot Beach caught a flyer from the outside post, and was clear within a few jumps. With Ortiz looking over his left shoulder to make sure no one was attempting to run with him, he guided his filly down to the rail to save ground through an opening quarter of 22.24 seconds.

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"She got in [the gate] and put her head down and I knew she was going to be quick," Ortiz said. "She broke like a shot."

Zoe's Prime, 5-1, gave chase throughout in second, but was already under a ride around the far turn, as Ortiz continued to sit chilly on Hot Beach. Turning for home, Ortiz pulled out the whip to keep his filly to task, and she easily had enough to hold Zoe’s Prime at bay, widening to the wire in the final stages.

The time for the 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:05.70.

After Zoe's Prime, it was a length back to Kodiac Wintergreen, who finished third at 10-1. Big Trouble, Antique Silver, Midnight Angel, Foxxy Cleopatra, and Greavette rounded out the order of finish.

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