2023 Beverly D. Stakes Preview

A trip to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf is at stake Saturday afternoon at Colonial Downs as a field of seven will contest the Grade 1, $500,000 Beverly D. The race, along with the Arlington Million and the Secretariat Stakes, was run at Arlington Park through 2021, the final year that track was open. After a one-year detour to Churchill Downs, where it was run at an abridged 1 ⅛-mile distance, the race has found its new home in Virginia and goes back to its traditional 1 3/16-mile trip.

It is historically one of the most important races in the older female turf division. Seven of its winners have gone on to earn championship honors, most recently Sistercharlie: she was the champion turf mare of 2018, the first of two years in which she won the Beverly D.

2023 Beverly D. Information

• Race Date: Saturday, August 12
• Track: Colonial Downs
• Post Time: 5:55 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: 1 3/16 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds and up, fillies and mares
• Where to Watch: TVG.com, FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Beverly D. Draw and Odds

These are the seven entrants in the 2023 edition of the Beverly D., along with post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for each horse.

Beverly D. Prep Race Results

All seven horses in the Beverly D. come from different races.

Four of the entrants come from graded-stakes races last out, though none come out of wins at that level. Two come out of Grade 1 company: Didia was second to Marketsegmentation in the New York at Belmont Park, while Fev Rover was third behind Whitebeam and In Italian in the Diana at Saratoga. Two others, both trained by Chad Brown, come out of Grade 3 events: Rocky Sky was most recently second in the Long Island at Aqueduct last November, while Gina Romantica was fourth behind stablemate Consumer Spending in the Eatontown at Monmouth.

Three others come out of non-stakes engagements. Romagna Mia, who makes her first start in the United States in this race, was most recently fourth in a handicap at Chantilly in France. The other two come out of second-level allowance wins: Mise En Scene at Saratoga and Jan’s Girl at Colonial Downs.

Beverly D. Contenders

These are the runners in the 2023 Beverly D., in post-position order.

1. Fev Rover: Despite acting up badly before the Diana in Saratoga Springs, she ran well in her last start: she stalked the pace and finished third, beaten only half a length by Whitebeam for top honors. That is the classiest last-out line of anyone in this field. She will have to navigate the rail, but she did that from the fence in the Diana last time and should be a major factor for trainer Mark Casse.
2. Jan’s Girl: She carries a three-win streak into this race, though the wins came in maiden, first-level allowance, and second-level allowance company. Even with a minor stakes placing as a maiden last summer at Gulfstream, that still leaves her with class to prove in this spot. Her tractability is a plus, though, and trainer Laura Cazares can pop up at a price when she sees fit to enter a horse in graded company (she has won two of her last three graded stakes tries).
3. Romagna Mia: The only horse in the field making her first stateside start, she had a tracking to midpack style when she was running overseas. She does have a Group 2 win in Italy, which fits her nicely to the mold of overseas Group 2/Group 3-type horses having a strong chance to become serious horses at the top of turf divisions in America. Trainer Graham Motion has had a strong Colonial meet, as well, though it’s a concern that jockey John Velazquez has been running so cold with Motion lately. Watch the tote on her.
4. Mise En Scene: She won a second-level allowance at Saratoga in her sixth stateside start (and fifth consecutive stateside race), her first victory in the United States. She has been able to run on late whether the pace in front of her was torrid or not, which is a plus, though she always tends to find quite a few too good at this Grade 1 level. The biggest point in her favor was that even her sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last year came back fast, and she returns to that 1 3/16-mile distance for this.
5. Didia: The multiple Group 1 winner in Argentina snapped a seven-race win streak last out in the New York but still came out looking good: she missed by only ¾ length behind Marketsegmentation in her first top-level try in the United States. The slight cutback in trip may help her case, and she showed in the Modesty that she is tractable enough to carve out a winning trip in a short field. She is also well-proven on the lawn at Colonial Downs, as she won there twice last year for trainer Ignacio Correas, IV.
6. Gina Romantica: The first of two from the barn of trainer Chad Brown in the field, Gina Romantica made it at the top level last year when she won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. She tried older company for the first time in the Eatontown at Monmouth, prompting the pace and flattening to fourth. She will need to improve from that, though she does have upside if she sits a little further back than she did last out. The switch back to regular rider Flavien Prat helps, too.
7. Rocky Sky: This midpack-to-closing type has taken some time to develop for trainer Chad Brown, but ended her season on a high note last year with a win in the Waya (G3) at Aqueduct. However, she has been off since running second in the Long Island last November, also at the big A. Trainer Chad Brown does often bring his horses back smartly from long layoff such as this one: a normal race for her has a chance to hit the board, though she needs her absolute best to have a win chance.

Beverly D. FAQ

Q: When is the 2023 Beverly D.?
A: The 2023 Beverly D. takes place Saturday, August 12, at 5:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Q: Where is the Beverly D.?
A: The Beverly D. takes place at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia. The Beverly D. is carded as the ninth race of 11 on Saturday’s card at Colonial.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Beverly D.?
A: Chad Brown won the Beverly D. six times between 2011 and 2019, the highest total of any trainer so far. He has two chances to win the race again in 2023 with Gina Romantica and Rocky Sky.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Beverly D.?
A: Fev Rover, who most recently ran a close third behind Whitebeam and In Italian, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Beverly D. Recent Grade 3 winner Didia (3-1) and Italian Group 2 winner Romagna Mia (4-1) are the next two chances on the morning line; take note if either of them shows a heavy swing on the tote board.

Q: Who is the best Beverly D. jockey?
A: Kent Desormeaux leads all riders with three victories in the Beverly D. in 1992, 2008, and 2009. He does not ride in the 2023 edition, however. Among jockeys with a call this year, John Velazquez is the only one with a previous win in the race. He won in both 2018 and 2019 with Sistercharlie.

Q: Who won the Beverly D. in 2022?
A: Dalika won the 2022 Beverly D. at Churchill Downs for trainer Al Stall, Jr., and jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. None of them return for this year’s edition.