‘She Needs Fast Turf’: Cross-Entered Be Your Best Runs In Beverly D. originally appeared on Paulick Report.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed that Michael J. Ryan’s Be Your Best, who is cross-entered in Friday’s Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga, will run in the 1 3/16 miles G2 $500,000 Beverly D. at Colonial Downs on Saturday. Set to face five other older fillies and mares in the Beverly D., Be Your Best was tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite. Her resume includes four graded stakes titles and more than $1 million in lifetime earnings.

“We want firm ground, she needs fast turf,” Joseph said. “She’s a much better horse on fast turf than if there’s any give in the ground. At Saratoga, they’ve had a lot of rain, so we decided not to run her there.”

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Slated as race 10, between the one-mile G2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds and the 1 1/4 miles G1 Arlington Million, the Beverly D. is one of seven stakes carded with purse money totaling $2.5 million.

Trained by Horacio De Paz until August of 2024, Be Your Best flashed her talent as a juvenile, winning her first two starts, including the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga. Though she ran well and placed often against graded stakes company, Be Your Best went winless in her next 12 starts.

“I had watched the horse run her whole career,” Joseph said. “After she won her first two at Saratoga, she had some good races, but she just never broke through (and won). We were excited to have her join us, and she seems to have really turned a corner and found the winner’s circle.”

Since joining her new barn, the millionaire daughter of Muhaarar has won four of her six starts, all graded stakes. In her second start with Joseph, she kicked off her 5-year-old campaign with an impressive stalk and pounce score in the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G2) at Gulfstream Park. In April’s Jenny Willy (G1) at Keeneland, the Irish-bred mare was in a great position in the far turn to contend down the stretch but came up empty and finished eighth.

“We had a lot of rain at Keeneland that week,” Joseph said. “I thought it dried out enough that we’d give it a go. And then that day, Irad (Ortiz Jr.) said that she was never in the bridle for him, so we said after that we’re not going to run on soft ground again. And that’s why we went to California, because we knew we would get firm ground.”

Last out at Santa Anita Park, Be Your Best went gate-to-wire to win her first G1 in the Gamely.

“We’ve been utilizing her tactical speed but she also stays well, so that’s to her advantage. She’s got two weapons,” Joseph said.

Be Your Best is proven past the Beverly D. distance, scoring in the 1 3/8 miles Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct last November.

Last year’s Beverly D. winner, Moira went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Be Your Best will be guided from post 2 by Tyler Gaffalione.

Stabled at Colonial Downs for the first time, Joseph has two other stakes runners entered on the Festival of Racing program with e Five Racing Thoroughbreds’ Mrs. Gambolini trying stakes company for the first time in the $150,000 Andy Guest and Lawson Racing Stables’ Roar of the Beast in the $100,000 Petramalo Mile. Gaffalione has been named to ride both.

Facing nine other older fillies and mares going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf, Mrs. Gambolini was tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite in the Andy Guest. The More Than Ready 4-year-old tallies three career wins from six starts, two of those coming on the turf at 5 furlongs.

“I’ve kind of babied her a little bit because she had some issues as a younger horse,” Joseph said. “I feel like she’s even better than she’s shown so far. I really like her a lot. I feel like she’s capable of being a graded stakes winner.”

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Slated as race 7, the Andy Guest is the first leg of an All-Stakes Pick 5 that concludes with the Arlington Million.

An impressive allowance winner last out at Gulfstream Park, Roar of the Beast will face open company stakes competition for the first time. Made 4-1 in the morning line in the Petramalo Mile, he’ll face a field of nine 3-year-olds over the dirt. The Florida-bred colt has two wins at the distance.

“I know Mrs. Gambolini is legit,” Joseph said. “The verdict is still out on whether (Roar of the Beast) is stakes-level or not. He’s looked impressive in both of his wins going a mile, but there might not have been very (strong competition) in there.”

The Petramalo Mile is scheduled as race 5, the first of seven stakes on Saturday’s card. First post is 12 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing can be purchased at www.colonialdowns.com.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.