Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
San Remo Beach, a smart winner of the Westside Auto Wholesale Pace for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night, will be set for the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 18 and the $225,000 Westbred Classic on September 15.
“That’s the aim for her and her stablemate Maddy Lou,” said Mike Howie, who bred and owns both fillies who are prepared by Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
De Campo drove Maddy Lou ($3.30) in Friday night’s 2130m event in which she finished seventh in the field of eight in which she started from the outside barrier and raced at the rear before starting a three-wide move approaching the bell.
Dylan Egerton-Green was in the sulky behind San Remo Beach, an $8.10 chance from barrier six.
“The plan was to race San Remo Beach with a sit,” said Egerton-Green. “But she got a bit keen, so we rolled forward (to race in the breeze while the $2.20 favourite Atlantic Gem was setting the pace). And she out-toughed her rivals.”
San Remo got to the front about 70m from the finish and beat Atlantic Gem by a half-length, with that filly ruining her chances by hanging out over the final 600m.
“Both San Remo Beach and Maddy Lou are nice big fillies,” said Howie. “They are the only two I didn’t send to the yearling sales last year. I had twelve foals that year and sold the other ten at the sales.
“I kept San Remo Beach and Maddy Lou because they are out of good broodmares, and I wanted to keep them for breeding after they finish racing.”
San Remo Beach is by American stallion Downbytheseaside, who amassed $2,283,068 from 22 wins and ten placings from 35 starts.
“Downbytheseaside is doing a great job in America where he is the leading sire of two and three-year-olds over there,” said Howie.
San Remo Beach has had six starts for two wins and two placings for stakes of $21,865. She is the fourth foal out of Artistic Copper, who won the Group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2013 and the Sales Classic for three-year-olds in February 2014 when she was trained by De Campo’s father Andrew.
Artistic Copper was retired after racing 31 times for seven wins, three placings and $100,014. Her first three foals have all been very good performers, with Some Copper Beach winning the Gold Bracelet in July 2019 and earning $100,020 from nine wins and six placings from 39 starts; The Good Life racing 32 times for nine wins, nine placings and $79,133, and Artistic Scribe having 30 starts for four wins and nine placings for stakes of $36,423.