Oaklawn Park: Calhoun's pair bring contrasting styles to American Beauty

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – In Beat the Blues and Boss Barney’s Babe, trainer Bret Calhoun has a pace horse and a closer for the $100,000 American Beauty at Oaklawn Park on Saturday. The six-furlong race for fillies and mares drew a jumbo-sized group of 14, with a mutuel field to be comprised of Hurricane Girl, All About Allie, and Chortle.

The Calhoun trainees are among eight stakes winners in the American Beauty. Others include Dreamin Big, Livi Makenzie, Ms Anna Destiny, Bryan’s Jewe, and American Sugar. Adding further depth to the field is Apropos, who is 2 for 2 at Oaklawn.

Beat the Blues is the field’s most accomplished member as a Grade 3 winner, a status she achieved in her last start May 27, when she won the Winning Colors at Churchill Downs. She was always prominent, and left a number of quality runners in her wake, including Judy the Beauty, who would go on to run second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

“If you look back at her history, it was the third time she’d run in the race,” Calhoun said. “She was second in it the years before, then came back and put it together and won that day. She ran a very, very good race.”

Calhoun and owners Martin Racing Stable and Morgan Thoroughbred were looking forward to a big summer with Beat the Blues, but she came out of a routine gallop with a physical setback.

“She had a hairline fracture in her forearm,” Calhoun said, “so we gave her time off and she’s come back great.

“When we got her back training and we kind of figured out when we thought she’d be ready, this is what we took aim at. We’ve been pointing for this race for quite some time and moved her to [Oaklawn] to let her get a lot of training over that track.”

Calhoun said he feels good about Beat the Blues’s fitness level, and also likes post 7, which he feels will give jockey Miguel Mena options Saturday.

Boss Barney’s Babe will be seeking her third straight win following a $62,500 optional claimer at Churchill and the $75,000 Orleans at Delta Downs. She will be cutting back to one turn and figures to be making her case late under jockey Cliff Berry.

“I think anywhere from 5 1/2 to seven-eighths is probably okay for her,” said Calhoun, who trains for Barnett Stables.

He said Boss Barney’s Babe responded to the addition of blinkers two starts ago.

“She still runs the same style. She’s just much more confident, much more focused,” he said.

◗ American Beauty runners Bryan’s Jewel, Chortle, All About Allie, Livi Makenzie, and Soft Whisper have all been cross-entered in an allowance for Sunday at Oaklawn.