Heywoods Beach prevailed in Sunday’s Tokyo City Cup (G3) at Santa Anita Park to give the 5-year-old son of Speightstown his second graded stakes win in his last three starts.
The dark bay has seemingly found a fondness for dirt marathon events, winning both Sunday and the July 24 Cougar II (G3) at 12 furlongs on the main track.
Heywoods Beach is one of Speightstown’s eight stakes winners, five of them graded, and a remarkable three of them Grade 1 winners, this year. Speightstown ranks top-10 nationally with more than $10.1 million in progeny earnings to date.
Ridden patiently by Ramon Vazquez, Heywoods Beach closely tracked the pace for over a mile. It wasn’t until an opening appeared along the rail with three furlongs to run that Heywoods Beach slipped past the frontrunners to take over. Kept to task in the stretch, he dug in gamely to hold off Win the Day by a neck.
“He’s a good marathon horse. He’s run well, he’s won here at a mile and a quarter in the past and won twice now at a mile and a half. He’s a very good marathon horse,” said his trainer John Sadler.
Future plans include a trip to the Breeders’ Cup according to owner Kosta Hronis.
We are definitely thinking of the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Marathon,” said Hronis. “It’s a taxing route, but John (Sadler) is giving it every consideration if he comes out of this race fine. We will wait and see.”
Heywoods Beach has a record of 5-2-3 in 20 starts and has earned $349,751 for Hronis Racing LLC. He was bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock LLC and is a half-brother to $4.2 million earner and five-time Grade 1 winner Stephanie’s Kitten.
