The Grade III Bold Ruler Handicap is this weekend at Belmont Park. There are quite a few nice horses lining up to compete in this race, but my money will be on a 20-1 longshot.
The underdog that I hope to see an upset from is Beasley, a three year old colt by Shackleford. Beasley will most likely be overlooked on Saturday, but I think this colt has a lot of upside. For starters, his only off the board finish came in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby when he finished fifth. It was soon discovered that he came out of the race with an ankle chip, which is what most likely contributed to his poor performance. The ankle chip ended any dreams of Beasley becoming a Derby horse, but it certainly didn’t end the potential that the young horse possessed. After a five month layoff, the colt came back to his winning ways.
In his first race back Beasley took on a field of older horses in a six furlong Allowance race at Saratoga. Beasley got off to a less than graceful start and bobbled coming out of the gate. However, the youngster proved to be unflappable and went about his way, patiently cruising along near the back of the pack. When the time came, he gallantly rose to the challenge and began passing horses, steadily knocking off his competition as he traveled wide into the stretch. Driven by determination, Beasley was able to reach the lead and fend off the impending charge of Hard Scramble. He threw his head in front and kept it there just in time for the wire.
Beasley’s next race came at Belmont Park on September 30th. The seven furlong Allowance Optional Claiming event came on a rainy day, but once again, Beasley was not dismayed. After traveling near the rear, Beasley set off to confront his competition as soon as his jockey gave the command. With each stride he drew closer and closer, eating up the ground as he barreled wide into the stretch. Once again he got himself into a dogfight and once again he refused to give in. He fought on, clearly wanting the lead. Right as the race came to an end, Beasley dove forward and made his final jump count. His tenacity led him to his second consecutive victory and his third win overall from his six career starts.
Beasley is a hard knocking, determined horse who gives it his best shot every time he runs. His last workout coming into the Bold Ruler Handicap was a bullet when he traveled four furlongs in :47.67. Winning against this group of horses will not be an easy feat, but I think Beasley has a real chance. He is a horse that is in good form and is improving as he goes along. He has won on fast tracks and wet tracks, showing that he will run his race regardless of track conditions. More importantly he has proved on more than one occasion that he will not shy away from a battle. The Bold Ruler Handicap may get a little salty on Saturday, but I don’t think it will rattle this colt. Even if he doesn’t win, I do expect him to hit the board, so with odds of 20-1, I can’t pass up the opportunity to play this horse. I think Beasley has a lot of promise, and in horse racing anything can and will happen. He may not be as accomplished as some of the other horses in this race, but I think it’s time for an upset and time for Beasley to make himself known.