Honor Marie scores in Kentucky Jockey Club, Intricate romps in Golden Rod

Nov 26, 2023 Brisnet.com Staff

Honor Marie made a sweeping move at the top of the stretch and drew clear late to win Saturday's $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs by two lengths over Real Men Violin.

Honor Marie, owned by Alan Ribble's Ribble Farms and trained by Whit Beckman, ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:44.31, earned $240,455 and collected 10 points as part of the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' series, which offered points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

For Beckman, a graduate of Louisville's Saint Xavier High School and a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, it was his first graded stakes win since starting his own stable in 2021.

'He's a very nice horse and we were confident with his pedigree, and the way he trained, he'd enjoy longer distances,' Beckman said. 'It's very exciting to have a horse like this and win our first graded stakes with him.'

Nomos, making his first start on dirt, along with first-level allowance winner Stretch Ride and longshot One Red Cent vied for the early lead through a first quarter mile in :23.70 and the half in :48.45 as Honor Marie raced relaxed at the rear of the field of eight. Honor Marie began to move into contention along the inside around the turn, and then tipped out six-wide at the top of the stretch after six furlongs in 1:13.40.

Racing in the clear down the stretch, Honor Marie collared Stretch Ride at the three-sixteenths pole as maiden winner Real Men Violin punched his way through along the rail and drew away for the two-turn triumph. Honor Marie paid $19.62.

'I was thinking the two turns would help out,' jockey Rafael Bejarano said. 'After I saw there was a lot of speed in the race which would fit him. He came with a big run. In his last start he ran OK but that was seven furlongs. I was more confident with him going two turns today.'

It was another length back to Risk It in fourth, who was forced to check repeatedly nearing the half-mile pole. He was followed by 8-5 favorite Awesome Road, Dancing Groom, One Red Cent, and Nomos.

Overall, Honor Marie has won two of his three starts with earnings of $318,175. Previously, he finished second to Otto the Conqueror in a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs on Oct. 29, his lone defeat.

'We'll probably take him down to Fair Grounds after this,' Beckman said. 'They have a good program for three-year-olds.'

Honor Marie, a son of Honor Code out of the Smart Strike mare Dame Marie, was bred in Kentucky by Royce Pulliam.

Intricate patiently waited for running room at the top of the stretch and when she did at the three-sixteenths pole, she exploded home to comfortably win the $399,498 Golden Rod (G2) by 5 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Thorpedo Anna.

Intricate, who ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.01 in a field of seven two-year-old fillies, collected the $240,455 first prize and 10 points as part of the 'Road to the Kentucky Oaks' series, which offers points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

Tyler Gaffalione rode the winner for trainer Brendan Walsh and owners Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes and Cambron Equine.

West Sunset dictated the early pace of :23.30, :47.31 and 1:12.48 as Intricate relaxed along the rail about 3 1/2 lengths behind in third down the backstretch. West Sunset, longshot Dozen Diamonds, and Thorpedo Anna left the final turn vying for the lead, but it was a pinned Intricate who found room between the tiring leader and 68-1 outsider. Once clear, Intricate opened up and drew clear of the field for easy victory. Intricate paid $14.66.

'She ran great today,' Gaffalione said. 'She's figuring things out and getting better with each start. I think the longer distance will definitely help her.'

Prior to the Golden Rod, Intricate broke her maiden in her second start while stretching out from a fifth in a debut sprint to a 3 1/2-length score at Keeneland around 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 13. She now boasts a record of two wins in three starts with earnings of $302,180.

'She's a very easy filly to train and does it all by herself,' said Walsh, who used a third-place finish in last year's Golden Rod to win this year's Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Pretty Mischievous. 'She's just been starting to come around and really put things together today. We've always thought she's a true two-turn filly.

'Last year this race worked out well for the development of Pretty Mischievous. We'll see where we end up down the road with her but I'm sure we'll entertain the Fair Grounds races like we did last year.'

Dozen Diamonds finished fourth and was followed by Gin Gin, Purloin, Here's the Spider and West Sunset.

By Gun Runner, Intricate is out of the Distorted Humor mare Complex Analysis. The chestnut filly was bred in Kentucky by LBD Stable.