Beaumont Preview: Streaking Four Graces Faces Latest Test

LEXINGTON, KY – Whitham Thoroughbreds homebred Four Graces streaks into town seeking her third straight victory in Friday’s $100,000 Beaumont Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3).

The Beaumont is a 7-furlong dirt sprint for 3-year-old fillies that attracted a field of six for this year’s edition. It has a local post time of 4:24 PM ET and goes off as race seven, one prior to the Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes (G1).

Here is a look at the full field for Friday’s Beaumont:

1. Slam Dunk 15/1 – She broke her maiden impressively while going a sloppy mile at Churchill Downs last November, but she came up empty in her 2020 debut against older optional claimers at Gulfstream Park in April. She was third in the Frizette Stakes (G1) prior to her maiden-breaking effort and has worked steadily over the local strip while pointing to this race.

2. Speech 7/5 – She scratched after her connections opted to run her in Saturday’s Ashland Stakes, where she was cross-entered.

3. Four Graces 3/1 – She has yet to lose in 3 starts at this 7-furlong distance or with returning jockey Julien Leparoux in the saddle, including in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) last time out. Her lone defeat came while going a one-turn mile in her second career appearance, but she has proven time and again to enjoy running 7/8 of a mile.

Check our Handicapping Products page to find out who and how we are playing this and every race on the card!

4. Wicked Whisper 3/1 – She won her first 2 starts by a combined 9 lengths, including the Frizette Stakes (G1) over common rival Slam Dunk and the recent Victory Ride Stakes (G3) winner Frank’s Rockette. She is unraced since running fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has a 19% strike rate with horses returning from layoffs of at least 180 days.

5. Sconsin 9/2 – Everything appeared to finally click for her last time out when she dominated optional claimers by 5 lengths while going 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs. The 89 Beyer speed figure that she earned was 15 points stronger than her previous career best and is the highest last-out number of anyone in this field.

6. Turtle Trax 12/1 – She broke her maiden while going 6 1/2 furlongs over the local dirt last October, then repeated that result a month later against optional claimers while going the same distance at Churchill Downs. She failed to hit the board in both graded stakes attempts, but those also came while going two turns, so she should improve while cutting back.