Inside post pays off for Beuteeful in Los Alamitos Oaks for Quarter Horses
An inside post is a comfortable starting point for Beuteeful, the winner of Saturday’s $407,190 Los Alamitos Oaks for 3-year-old Quarter Horse fillies.
Winning for the third time in four starts from that post, Beuteeful broke slightly to her outside and bumped with a rival, but recovered quickly to take the lead midway through the 400-yard Los Alamitos Oaks.
Beuteeful ($6.20) led by a neck with more than 100 yards remaining and won by head over 12-1 Cm Jessa Blue Monday. Ridden by Rodrigo Vallejo, Beuteeful was timed in 19.71 seconds.
Ruse Ticle Knockout, the even-money favorite, finished third, beaten slightly more than a half-length in the field of nine.
The Los Alamitos Oaks, the track’s richest race for fillies, was the second major stakes win for Beuteeful. Last May, she won her stakes debut in the $275,800 Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity at 300 yards.
Beuteeful broke through the gate before the start of the $1.17 million Golden State Million Futurity last October, and finished seventh by 3 1/4 lengths as the 3-2 favorite.
In the $1.9 million Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity in December, Beuteeful started from the inside post and was not a factor, finishing fifth by 1 3/4 lengths. She was promoted to fourth after Jess Im Worth It was disqualified from third to ninth for causing interference.
By Kvn Corona, Beuteeful races for owner and breeder Keith Nellesen and trainer Kristin Watanabe. Beuteeful has won 7 of 9 starts and earned $488,172.
Beuteeful started from the inside when she won the Kindergarten Futurity, and for a win in a time trial for the Los Alamitos Oaks on March 7. Beuteeful had the fastest qualifying time of 19.78 seconds for Saturday’s race from three trials.
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