Nickname seeking return to winner’s circle in Beaumont

Apr 15, 2016 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Only five fillies were entered to go seven furlongs in Sunday’s $150,000 Beaumont (G3) at Keeneland, despite it offering up points to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series.

The actual points awarded wouldn’t make a difference to anyone except for Nickname, who currently sits in 16th with 36 points. The Beaumont is worth 10-4-2-1 points, so a second-place run would be enough to bump her into 14th thanks to her non-restricted stakes earnings.

Nickname appears capable of taking the Beaumont against this group. The Steve Asmussen trainee captured the Frizette (G1) at Belmont Park last October prior to running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) to close out her two-year-old campaign.

Nickname returned in early February to miss by a half-length when second in the Martha Washington S. and filled that same spot last out in the Honeybee (G3), both at Oaklawn Park. She was beaten 6 1/2 lengths in the Honeybee but looks to improve against this bunch with Javier Castellano taking back the mount.

R Girls a Charmer might relish the cutback to seven furlongs after finishing a well-beaten fourth in the one-mile Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park on February 27. The Mark Casse pupil romped by a front-running four lengths going that distance in the Gasparilla S. at Tampa Bay Downs before the Davona Dale, and gets Luis Saez in the irons on Sunday.

Kinsley Kisses puts her perfect two-for-two mark on the line while making her stakes bow in the Beaumont. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the Congrats filly broke her maiden going seven furlongs on January 16 at Gulfstream then returned March 13 at that same distance to take an allowance/optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs by seven lengths. Kinsley Kisses will be reunited with John Velazquez, who was the pilot for her career opener.

Lightstream is another who could jump up in a big way while trying stakes rivals for the first time. In fact, the Brian Lynch charge will be trying winners for the first time, as she took her maiden debut last out on March 6 at Gulfstream by 2 1/4 lengths. Even more impressive, the Harlan’s Holiday miss earned a field-topping 104 BRIS Speed rating under Julien Leparoux, who retains the mount for the Beaumont.

American Doll completes the Beaumont field and will be trying dirt for the first time. The Tiznow filly debuted on turf last year but was unable to break through with a win. She was then transferred from Pletcher to the shedrow of Ben Colebrook, who sent the bay miss to Turfway Park’s synthetic Polytrack, where she proceeded to break her maiden by 6 1/2 lengths before taking a couple of one-mile allowance/optional claimers. American Doll didn’t do so well in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) last out and will need to pass both the stakes and dirt test in this spot with Florent Geroux aboard.