Miss Ella made the most of her first stakes start with 2 ½-length victory in Sunday’s $250,000 Beaumont S. (G2) at Keeneland. The 3-year-old filly is the second graded stakes winner of the weekend following Ball Dancing’s win in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley S., also at Keeneland, on Saturday.
After breaking alertly on the outside, Miss Ella stalked a couple lengths off the pace set by Fantastic Style. Rajiv Maragh asked his filly to move closer on the turn, and by the time the field hit the top of the stretch, they were on even terms.
After battling the next furlong with Divine Dawn, Miss Ella pulled away to secure her first graded stakes victory.
Miss Ella covered the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet in 1:28.11 over a fast track.
“I think she’s a special filly. She’s got a remarkable demeanor,” said winning trainer Graham Motion. “I trained her mother (Sweet Tune), who was actually a turf filly, so this is all a bit of a surprise to us. I think she has a really bright future.”
Miss Ella was bred in Kentucky by her owner Jack Swain III. Her earnings rose to $174,000 with Sunday’s $150,000 payday. She broke her maiden in her debut March 11 at Gulfstream Park.
