Classic Empire’s Beautiful Empire Wins Star Shoot

Classic Empire’s stakes placed daughter Beautiful Empire (3f Classic Empire x Humor Me Colonel, by Colonel John) went even better on Saturday with a first stakes victory in the Listed Star Shoot Stakes at Woodbine.

It was the second straight victory for the filly, who shares the same connections as her sire with Mark Casse preparing the 3-year-old for owner John Oxley.

Racing over six furlongs on the all weather surface, the filly spent the first quarter of the race in last before gradually moving her way through the field under Emma-Jayne Wilson. As the field turned for home, the filly slid inside the leader and took over command with a furlong left.

Beautiful Empire flashed across the line 1 ½ lengths in front for her third victory in seven career starts with all four of her 2022 starts seeing her finish no worse than third.

“Good horses, when you ask them, they run,” said Wilson. “And that’s exactly what happened. She’s been running lights out the whole winter. She was primed for a big effort. It was a big effort last time and she stepped up again today.”

The filly was a $320,000 purchase for her owner from the Paramount Sales consignment at Keeneland September and hails from the Springhouse Farm breeding operation.

She is out of a half-sister to another top Ashford second-crop sire in three-time Grade I winner Practical Joke. Beautiful Empire’s dam has produced two winners from three to race while her own dam has produced three winners from five to race.

Humor Me Colonel has an American Pharoah 2-year-old colt to represent her this year and visited Munnings for 2022.

Classic Empire’s four stakes winners from his first crop is tied for third alongside fellow Ashford stallions Cupid and Caravaggio among the second crop sires. The stallion also has eight stakes performers, good enough for third alongside Caravaggio.