Another Major Win for Ignacio Correas: Utah Beach Captures the Louisville Stakes
- Turf Diario
- 3 minutes ago
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The gray colt continues to prove himself as a legitimate distance performer, shining this time at Churchill Downs with a performance just shy of the track record, further fueling hopes of earning a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1)
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- n a demanding and high-class edition, the gray reaffirmed his strong current form with a decisive 1 1/2-length triumph over Verstappen (War Front). Ridden by Frenchman Vincent Cheminaud, the son of English Channel stopped the clock in 2:26.70, just 0.20 seconds off the course record set by champion Tikkanen (Cozzene) in 1994 when he captured the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Bred in Kentucky and carrying the silks of Merribelle Stable, owned by Jeffrey Amling and Charles Noell, the Nacho Correas trainee settled third-last in the early stages as the speedy Idratherbeblessed (Unified) carved out honest splits of :48.84, 1:13.64, and 1:39.12. Verstappen struck the front at the top of the stretch, but Utah Beach was already rolling on the outside and took over with 200 meters to go, drawing off smartly.
It was a second straight graded win for the 5-year-old, who had previously captured the GII Elkhorn Stakes at Keeneland last month. His record now stands at 15 starts, with 5 wins, 5 seconds, and 1 third, and earnings of $687,785.
Sent off as the second choice, Utah Beach returned $8.44 to win. Verstappen, under Frankie Dettori, paid $7 and $4.04, respectively, while Missed the Cut (Quality Road), the narrow favorite, rounded out the trifecta three lengths back and returned $3.90 to show.
The race was not without incident: as Idratherbeblessed began to fade, Missed the Cut veered out sharply, triggering a chain reaction that unseated Declan Cannon (aboard Rebel Red) and Peruvian rider Rafael Bejarano (aboard Tapit Shoes). Both jockeys were dismounted; Tapit Shoes (Tapit) and Rebel Red (Frankel) returned to their barns in good order. Bejarano escaped with no serious injuries, while Cannon was transported to the University of Louisville Hospitalfor back pain, though he was reported to be conscious and alert.
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