A Raving Beauty stays perfect in North America with G1 Just a Game victory

by Jon Forbes

A Raving Beauty remained unbeaten in two starts in North America with a three-quarter-length victory in the Grade 1, $700,000 Longines Just a Game - part of the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets undercard - for fillies and mares on Saturday at Belmont Park.

Entering this race off a three-length score in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 12 at Belmont, A Raving Beauty raced 2 ½ lengths off the pace in third under jockey Irad Oritz, Jr. as Lull, pressed by La Coronel, ran the opening quarter-mile in 23.34 seconds.

A Raving Beauty commenced her rally with 5/16ths to travel, easily overtaking the early leaders in midstretch and holding sway as Proctor's Ledge rallied to her inside. Proctor's Ledge finished a half-length in front of Lull, who held third by a neck over Off Limit.

A Raving Beauty, a 5-year-old Mastercraftsman mare, completed one mile on turf 1:32.14. She returned $9.30 for a $2 win wager as the 7-2 second choice.

Bred in Germany, A Raving Beauty is trained by Chad Brown for owners Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, and Bethlehem Stables. She was purchased at auction in France for $264,915 last November after making 17 starts in Europe, including a pair of stakes wins in Germany and a third last October in Italy's Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio, her final start in Europe.

"We took our time with [A Raving Beauty] since she's come into the program and she's really taken to the program well," said Brown, who won last year's Longines Just a Game with Antonoe. "I've been impressed with her development and each of her works has gotten better. We showed a lot of confidence her first time in this country, putting her in a graded stakes [Grade 3 Beaugay] last time, and she delivered and ran really well. Then to come around and come right back in a few short weeks and to be put in a Grade 1, that's climbing the ladder pretty fast given her previous form."

Overall, A Raving Beauty has a record of 5-3-2 in 19 starts. The $375,000 winner's share of the Longines Just a Game purse more than doubled her career earnings to $694,555.

On Leave finished fifth and was followed by Dream Dancing, Cambodia, and La Coronel.