Beach Bomb, Far Bridge Win Graded Stakes at Gulfstream
Beach Bomb , a dual group 1 winner in her native South Africa, now has two graded wins this year in the United States.
Replicating her front-running performance in the 1 3/8-mile The Very One Stakes (G3T), Beach Bomb raced a furlong longer in the $150,000 Orchid Stakes (G3T) March 29 at Gulfstream Park—with another victorious outcome. She controlled a reasonable pace and withstood late bids from Silvology and La Mehana . Beach Bomb prevailed by a head over runner-up Silvology with La Mehana, bidding up the inside after hung up in traffic on the last of three turns, a neck further behind in third.
Beach Bomb was timed covering 1 1/2 miles on firm turf in 2:24.29. She returned $5.20 to win as the slight post-time favorite over La Mehana.
Winning jockey Luis Saez said he was worried about the extra distance for his mare. “But she kept responding, and a good thing she held on,” he said.
Graham Motion trains the 5-year-old daughter of the late Lancaster Bomber for Gaynor Rupert’s Cayton Park Stud. Last year, following her move to the U.S., she twice placed in stakes for Motion in two-turn grass routes before finishing a close eighth in the three-turn Breeder’s Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T) at 1 3/8 miles.
Motion credited a winter break as beneficial for Beach Bomb, who noted that South African imports sent to him last year had to quarantine for two months in the U.S.
“So I think having a little break after Breeders’ Cup really allowed them to grow up and kind of be themselves,” he said.
The Rupert family’s Drakenstein Stud bred Beach Bomb out of the South African champion Dynasty mare Beach Beauty .
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This article will be updated with a full recap of the Pan American Stakes (G3T) from Gulfstream.
