There is a lot of alliteration surrounding the co-feature event at Colonial Downs Aug. 9. While Be Your Best brings the credentials to be the likely favorite, Beach Bomb boasts the brilliance to beware of in the Beverly D. Stakes (G2T).
One of the flagship races that originated at Arlington Park and is now run at Colonial, the Beverly D. is traditionally a stiff test for long-winded, top-shelf older fillies and mares. The $500,000 event, despite not offering a guaranteed berth this year, is still expected to funnel participants into the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T). Last year during her Eclipse Award-winning season, Moira won the Beverly D. en route to Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf success at 1 3/8 miles.
As usual, the Beverly D. will be contested at 1 3/16 miles on turf. It draws a roster of international pedigrees more geared toward lengthier layouts than many of our domestic products.
South African-bred Beach Bomb fills that bill. Owned by Cayton Park Stud and trained by Graham Motion, the 5-year-old mare is by Lancaster Bomber, out of Beach Beauty. Already this season, she has visited the winner's circle after a 1/38-mile tour of Gulfstream Park's lawn in the March 1 The Very One Stakes (G3T) and a subsequent 1 1/2-mile journey there, annexing the March 29 Orchid Stakes (G3T). She has run strong seconds since in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G3T) at 1 3/8 miles and in the New York Stakes (G1T), missing by just a half-length to She Feels Pretty in that effort, also at 1 3/16 miles.
Beach Bomb is displaying her best form since she was winning grade 1 tests in her native country late in 2023 and early in 2024. In a new venture that began last year, Motion received a brace of runners from South Africa via stables such as Cayton Park Stud and Hollywood Racing. Regulations in effect at that time, however, mandated a two-month quarantine of the imported horses, who weren't allowed to train during that period.
"We got them in April and May, after they'd been in a stall for 60 days and hadn't done anything," he noted. "Because Beach Bomb and also Isivunguvungu came to me with the idea to run in the Breeders' Cup last year, we were on a very regimented schedule to make that happen. Both made it (Beach Bomb finished eighth in the Filly & Mare Turf, missing by 3 1/2 lengths), and both belonged. I was able to give Beach Bomb a breather after that, and I think that has done her a world of good. She has really gone on and flourished since."
Quarantine regulations have now been amended, allowing South African imports to train in Europe for two months before coming to North America.
A glance at the pedigree of Beach Bomb is telling as to her class. Dam Beach Beauty was named South Africa's champion older mare in both 2013 and 2014. She accumulated five grade 1 victories in a career that has seamlessly moved to the broodmare paddocks. Beach Bomb is a half sister to South African grade 2 winners Wild Coast and Amanzimtoti (both by Trippi); and to multiple stakes winner Narina Trogon, a son of Silvano. Beach Beauty was named South Africa's broodmare of the year for 2024.
Sire Lancaster Bomber imparts street cred to his daughter for the Breeders' Cup. Irish champion older horse at 4 in 2018, the son of War Front registered runner-up efforts in both the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) behind Oscar Performance and in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) to World Approval.
Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Beach Bomb has proved victorious in six of 15 starts with earnings of $528,930. She has finished off the board just three times. In the Beverly D., Beach Bomb is seeking to take another step forward to justify a return trip to the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar. Motion is getting the correct signals from the mare this season.
"She has really come around," Motion noted. "She is extremely determined, yet is the kindest mare to train. She is very talented, and I give (regular rider) Luis Saez credit for that, because he has really figured her out. Beach Bomb is relatively small, but beautifully put together. The key to a distance horse is its ability to relax. They must have that in their disposition, or else they're going to be in trouble.
"In general, these South African horses that have come to me have been very competitive."
It is no coincidence that owners send talented two-turn horses with international pedigrees Motion's way. He has made his name training these types, most famously 2011 Kentucky Derby (G1) and 2013 Dubai World Cup (G1) victor Animal Kingdom, whose sire was a Brazilian-bred and whose dam and broodmare sire were German-breds.
Domestically, there are fewer chances for true distance horses because such races do not get written as frequently as they once did.
"The opportunities have diminished, which is a real worry," said Motion, who relishes the challenge of training true stayers. "I came up under Jonathan Sheppard, who was the master of doing this right. We spent a lot of time trying to get horses to settle, including turning them out. It is a different style to training them, all geared to having them relax."
Motion believes that Colonial Downs boasts arguably the best grass course in America, calling it "a fair, beautiful turf course." And he's optimistic about the chances for Beach Bomb.
"I do think she's more of a mile-and-a-quarter type. She got away with 12 furlongs in Florida, but I think that 1 3/16 is a better trip for her."
