Leparoux retains hot hand guiding Lightstream to Beaumont victory

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lightstream capped a huge weekend for 10-time Keeneland riding champion Julien Leparoux when he rallied to win the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaumont Stakes before a sun-splashed Sunday crowd of 20,403.

Favored at 6-5 off a gaudy career debut last month, Lightstream rallied up the rail to prevail by three-quarters of a length over Nickname in the 31st Beaumont, which was run at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet. Kinsley Kisses finished another 1 1/2 lengths back in third in a field of five 3-year-old fillies.

Leparoux had two stakes wins among four overall victories here Saturday, capped by a rousing triumph aboard Tepin in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes. In winning the Beaumont, he got Lightstream to settle down the backstretch before letting loose down the lane.

“She was traveling very good and there was an opening along the rail, so we went for it,” said Leparoux.

Lightstream, owned by Up Hill Stable and Head of Plains Partners, returned $4.60 after finishing in 1:26.27.

Lightstream earned 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks with the victory, but trainer Brian Lynch said beforehand he has no intention of having the filly face Songbird in the May 6 filly classic at Churchill Downs.

Lightstream was sired by the late Harlan’s Holiday. Her lone prior start in a March 6 maiden sprint at Gulfstream Park in Florida resulted in a 2 1/4-length victory and a 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

“There was a [Grade 1 winner, Nickname] in there today, and multiple winners, so this was a big move forward for us,” said Lynch.

R Girls a Charmer set the pace in the Beaumont in splits of 22.22 and 44.64 seconds but was done by the time they all straightened away. Kinsley Kisses and Nickname both overtook her, but then the rail run of Lightstream finished things off.

The $2 exacta (1-5) paid $15.40 and the $1 trifecta (1-5-3) returned $34.

The Beaumont anchored a nine-race card that ended the first half of the 16-day spring meet. Just three stakes remain at a meet that runs through April 29.

Earlier Sunday, Stradivari ($4.80) drew raves by winning a first-level, 1 1/8-mile allowance race by 14 1/2 lengths under John Velazquez. Stradivari, a 3-year-old colt by Medaglia d’Oro, is owned by the Coolmore group and is trained by Todd Pletcher. He was an 11-length winner of a maiden race at Gulfstream in his prior start.