Open Mind sets up intriguing rematch

The Boiling Springs in May at Monmouth Park provided a thrilling finish as 6-5 favorite Beautiful Lover, who looked hopelessly beaten in upper stretch, unleashed a powerful rally to blow past pacesetting Karama in deep stretch to score by a half-length. It was a neck farther back in third to Ellyb, who came close to reeling in Karama following a long drive.

On Sunday at Monmouth, that trio of 3-year-old fillies plus Boiling Springs fourth-place finisher Her Royal Highness will be rematched in the $75,000 Open Mind over the same 1 1/16 miles of turf. Joining the battle will be La Feve, a French-bred who will be making her first start for Graham Motion after finishing third in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant, fourth in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, and third in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct.

The Boiling Springs was the third consecutive victory for Beautiful Lover and improved her career mark to three wins in four starts. An Arch filly who brought $475,000 as a 2-year-old at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2018 April auction, she is trained by Chad Brown and owned by Paul Pompa Jr. and Golden Goose Enterprises.

The Boiling Springs was an odd race as Karama, who was making her first start beyond seven furlongs, opened up a five-length lead on the backside, stringing out the field. Although Beautiful Lover was more than 10 lengths back at that point, she actually was sitting midpack. She is not devoid of speed.

As Karama dug in on an open lead for the stretch run, Joe Bravo was easing Beautiful Lover through traffic. Once he straightened her away into the stretch, she finished with a strong move and was at top speed passing under the wire. She will be favored Sunday.

Karama hung on with good courage in the stretch despite not settling early. A Shadwell Farm homebred by Kitten’s Joy who is trained by Michael Pino, Karama is liable to improve markedly in her second start on turf and at a distance. If jockey Kendrick Carmouche can get her to relax early, a minor upset is not impossible.

In her prior two starts, she won a seven-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park in her February debut and then was second to A Bit of Both in the seven-furlong Game Face Stakes at Gulfstream. A Bit of Both has since won the Honey Bee, a turf sprint at Monmouth, and is 5 for 6 in her career.

Both Karama and La Feve were entered and scratched from the Christiana Stakes on June 19 at Delaware Park when that race was transferred to the main track.

La Feve, formerly trained by Brown, has raced competitively in her three United States starts and the Open Mind is arguably the easiest field she has faced.

The Sweetest Chant, in which she finished third, and the Florida Oaks, in which she was fourth, were won, respectively, by A Bit Special and Concrete Rose. Those fillies are both 4 for 5 and have three stakes wins apiece.

Ellyb, who is trained by Arnaud Delacour, also has a right to improve. In the Boiling Springs, she had the unenviable task of trying to catch loose-on-the-lead Karama, which she almost did while being asked hard throughout the stretch run.