When blood agent David Ingordo buys Heywoods Beach for Hronis Racing in 2019, coach John Sadler didn’t expect to get a dirt road marathoner.
“We thought he was a horse on the pitch,” said Sadler. “The first half of his career was just on grass. He ran well, got bets and won two or three races on grass. Then when we switched him to grass, he was. liked that.”
Heywoods Beach doesn’t just love dirt, the longer the race the better. With his victory at the Tokyo City Cup 1 1/2 miles (G3) at Santa Anita October 2, Heywoods Beach won its second-ranked stake this year by that distance, following a July 24 Cougar II (G3) Share in Del Mar.
Ramon Vazquez, who won Zenyatta Stakes (G2) with Midnight memories earlier on the card, rode Heywoods Beach. This is the rider’s third straight run on a 5-year-old horse, having partnered with him in Cougar and when dropping on grass during the Del Mar Handicap (G2T) on September 3.
Storm the Court 2 year old male 2019 champion, vs Tizamagician soon took the lead in the Tokyo City Cup despite scoring: 24.37 and: 48.68. Meanwhile, Vazquez let Heywoods Beach take the lead in fourth place.
When it was the club’s turn, the 4-5 Tizamagician favorites drew even with Storm the Court, leading between calls on the backstretch. Vazquez had Heywoods Beach in third place, and they could go inside Storm the Court to take command with the remaining three tongs.
When stretched, Heywoods Beach had a half-length lead, but Win the day , the last runner soon, is closing. Heywoods Beach held him by an antique winding, the clock stopped at 2:31.98. He paid $9 to win.
Santa Anita had previously been crowned the Tokyo City Cup in the spring, but changed the race to the fall. That way, it can serve as a prep for the 5/8-mile Post-Pure Care Alliance (G2), formerly Breeders’ Cup Marathon, scheduled for May 4. 11 o’clock Keeneland as part of the Breeders’ Cup card.
For Heywoods Beach and Tizamagician, the Tokyo City Cup served as a draw opportunity at a distance. Tizamagician, the 2021 Tokyo City Cup champion, won the Cougar II in 2021 while Heywoods Beach finished third, and this year Heywoods Beach beat Tizamagician in a Cougar II match.
After Cougar II in 2021, Heywoods Beach has been on the sidelines for more than 10 months.
“He injured his back leg last year,” Sadler said. “Nothing was broken, but he had pain in his hind foot. We just took him out until he got sound and brought him back.”
SF Bloodstock LLC bred Heywoods Beach, son of Sightstown –Open the rose via Catienus , in Kentucky. Ingordo bought the pony for $180,000 from delivery man Eddie Woods at the Ocala Breeders’ 2019 sale in June at age 2. Kosta Hronis named the boy Heywoods Beach because it’s the most popular beach in Speightstown in Barbados.
Video: Tokyo City Cup S. (G3)
