BEACH COWGIRL TAKES BIG M FEATURE

Saturday, April 6, 2024

After a dismal start to her 2024 season when last as the 3-5 favorite, Beach Cowgirl followed that up with a solid second-place finish to Always B Naughty, a stakes filly from a year ago, last week. That effort set her up to find the winner’s circle Friday night at The Meadowlands in the featured $17,000 high-end conditioned pace for fillies and mares.

Despite facing another top-flight mare, Zanatta, a lifetime earner of over $600,000, Beach Cowgirl was sent to the gate as the 6-5 favorite and was handled aggressively by driver Tyler Miller, sprinting away from post six in the eight-horse field as Zanatta left underneath her from post two. Miss Chantilly N (post four), seeking her third win in four tries, went past Beach Cowgirl at the quarter, hitting that station in :27.4, before Beach Cowgirl retook the top and hit the half in a tepid :57.2 and three-quarters in 1:24.3.

“We were the only three leaving in the race,” said Miller. “When we were able to turn John (Ahle, driving Miss Chantilly N) loose, and then retake, after the half, I knew they’d have to pace pretty hard to get by us. Nobody was pressing hard to the half, and that allowed us to rate the second fraction.”

Through the stretch, Miss Chantilly N emerged from the pocket to offer a challenge that never truly threatened the eventual winner while Zanatta took the inside route in her seasonal debut. Beach Cowgirl finished the mile in 1:52 after pacing her back half in :54.3, and was three-quarters-of-a-length in front of Miss Chantilly N at the finish. Zanatta was third.

“We went :27.1 in the third quarter, some of it due to the wind at our back, but after the half I wanted to get her in gear,” said Miller. “I wanted her to be able to finish strong.

“I wasn’t very nervous at all through the stretch. I knew that [Miss Chantilly N] had been racing well, but my mare was going to be good off those fractions. She’s a very nice mare, all the credit to Mickey and everyone in the Burke barn. They’ve done a great job with her.”

A 4-year-old by Captaintreacherous-Stonebridge Sundae who is owned by Joseph DiScala Jr., Zippett Racing Stable and Scarlett Stables LLC, Beach Cowgirl returned $4.60 to her backers. She now has eight wins from 23 lifetime starts and earnings of just over $400,000.

HI-5 CARRYOVER: Friday’s seventh race came in 10-6-1-9-8, and with two of the three longest shots in the race finishing third and fifth, no one had a winning ticket in the 20-cent Hi-5 (or Pentafecta, if you prefer), setting up a carryover of $14,783 for the Hi-5 that will be offered on Saturday’s seventh race.

A LITTLE MORE: Braxten Boyd led the driver colony with three wins while Marcus Miller and Brett Beckwith each scored twice. … Big M TV’s Jessica Otten had three cold exacts, one cold triple and one cold superfecta while giving out selections during the course of the night. Her broadcast partner, John Rallis, tabbed 20-1 shot Corsini A in the ninth race, who returned $43.60 to win. … All-source handle on the 14-race card totaled $3,107,299, the 22^nd time from 26 Big M programs this year when betting busted the $3-million barrier. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

PHOTO: Beach Cowgirl and driver Tyler Miller won the Friday night feature at The Meadowlands. (Credit: Lisa Photo)