Lightstream Remains Unbeaten With Adena Springs Beaumont Victory

LEXINGTON, KY (April 17, 2016) – Up Hill Stable and Head of Plains Partners LLC’s undefeated Lightstream took advantage of a rail-skimming ride by Julien Leparoux to win the 31^st running of the $150,000 Adena Springs Beaumont (G3) for 3-year-old fillies by three-quarters of a length over Nickname before a Sunday afternoon crowd of 20,403.

Trained by Brian Lynch, Lightstream covered the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet in 1:26.27. It was the second win in the race for Leparoux, who piloted War Kill to victory in the 2009 running.

R Girls a Charmer led the field through uncontested fractions of :22.22 and :44.64 as Lightstream bided her time in fourth, running next to the rail.

On the far turn, Nickname went after R Girls a Charmer and grabbed the advantage outside of the leader entering the stretch, opening a daylight margin. At the sixteenth pole, Lightstream surged past Nickname on the inside and drew clear for the victory.

The victory was worth $93,000 and raised Lightstream’s earnings to $117,000 with a record of two wins in two starts.

Lightstream also earned her first 10 points toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 6 at Churchill Downs. The top 14 point earners that enter the race will make up the field for the Oaks. The cut line is 40 points, a total held by Nickname and two other fillies.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Lightstream is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Harlan’s Holiday out of the Arch mare North Beach.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of five, Lightstream returned $4.60, $2.80 and $2.10. Nickname, ridden by Javier Castellano, returned $3.40 and $2.10 with Kinsley Kisses finishing 1½ lengths back in third under John Velazquez and paying $2.20 to show.

R Girls a Charmer finished fourth and was followed by American Doll.

Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET.

Quotes from the $150,000 Adena Springs Beaumont (G3)

Brian Lynch (winning trainer of Lightstream)

“I’d rather have her on my team than be running against her. Very gutsy. The pace was cracking early. He (jockey Julien Leparoux) was patient enough with her. Looked like at the three-eighths pole, she wasn’t going anywhere but once he got after her … she’s still learning what it’s all about, too. She’s gonna go outside, she came back inside. She gutted it out down the lane. There was a (Grade) 1 winner in there, multiple winners in there, so it was a nice step forward for her.”

Julien Leparoux (winning rider)

“They went pretty quick up front, but she was traveling very good. I saw the opening on the rail, so I just went for it. She finished nice. That was a pretty good bunch, even if there was only a five-horse field.”

Javier Castellano (rider of runner-up Nickname)

“I thought I (made the winning move). Turning for home, she was doing the right thing. The pace was quick enough and I was in a beautiful, perfect (position) to keep track of (the leaders) and made a really beautiful move. I thought we were home free turning for home. I don’t know where (Lightstream) came from. My horse kept responding. I give credit to the winner. (Sometimes) it just happens that way.”

John Velazquez (rider of third-place finisher Kinsley Kisses)

“I had a good trip. (Laying second) was part of the plan. We (he and trainer Todd Pletcher) knew the other horse (Lightstream) was fast enough, and we didn’t want to be head to head with any other horse. But then again, she hasn’t been behind many other horses. She’s still green; she’s still getting to know what she’s supposed to do.”

Luis Saez (rider of fourth-place finisher R Girls a Charmer)

“It was a perfect trip, she broke good and she was very comfortable, she’s very fast. I took the lead and I thought we were going to hold them. She tried but they were tough fillies.”

Keeneland