Beautiful Empire Wins for Classic Empire Connections

Beautiful Empire (2f Classic Empire x Humor Me Colonel, by Colonel John) became winner number 19 for Classic Empire on Friday night with a 2 ¾ length victory at Turfway Park.

Racing for a duo familiar with her sire in his racing owner and trainer John Oxley and Mark Casse, the filly shadowed the race favorite for the first half of the six furlong race. Around the turn, she engaged that runner in a duel and spent the early part of the stretch trying to take over the lead.

She took hold of that with a furlong left to go and when asked for another gear pulled away to win by 2 ¾ lengths.

A $320,000 yearling purchase by Oxley from Paramount Sales at last year’s Keeneland September Sale, the Springhouse Farm-bred Beautiful Empire is out of a half sister to Classic Empire’s studmate and top freshman stallion Practical Joke.

Beautiful Empire is the third winners from three to race out of her dam and is a granddaughter of stakes placed and Grade I fourth Halo Humor.

Beautiful Empire has a yearling American Pharoah half-brother who sold for $350,000 in September and her dam visited Munnings this year.

A champion juvenile himself, Classic Empire is the sire of five stakes performers and two stakes winners. He is a top five sire in this year’s freshman rankings.