Not This Time got his 13th lifetime Grade 1 winner in style Saturday at Oaklawn Park when Claret Beret rolled to a 4 ½-length victory over champion Nitrogen in the $1.25 million Apple Blossom (G1).
The 5-year-old came into the Apple Blossom off a five-length score in the Feb. 14 Royal Delta S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park, which was her first graded win.
After breaking from post 8, Claret Beret was wide around the first turn, but made her way up into third after three furlongs. She continued in the three path on the backstretch and into the final turn, when she easily went by Blue Fire and Five G to take the lead with about three furlongs to go. Full of run in the stretch, she easily held off Nitrogen and stopped the timer at 1:42.21 for the 1 1/16-miles on a fast track.
Her Beyer Speed Figure was a lifetime best of 105. The Apple Blossom is a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) this fall at Keeneland.
“She backed up her last race (Feb. 14 Royal Delta at Gulfstream Park),” said trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “Just really proud of her. I thought Micah (Husbands) gave her a really good ride, too, so I’m very proud of him, also. Her first race was big (after being privately purchased last spring) and then we got it wrong. Her first race was a one-turn mile and we kept her at seven-eighths. We ran decent in the Inside Information and thought we were back on track and then we started her in the Royal Delta, not knowing what to expect back at two turns. Once she won that, we realized that, ‘Hey, we were wrong. She needs to go two turns.’ Today, obviously, she justified that, she’s definitely much better at two turns.”
Claret Beret is owned by Miller Racing LLC and has a lifetime record of 7-1-3 in 19 starts. She became racing’s newest millionaire on Saturday with earnings that now stand at $1,115,834.
Claret Beret was bred in Kentucky by Mitch Haynes and sold at the 2022 Keeneland September sale for $375,000.
Not This Time is currently atop the 2026 General Sire list, with over $11.6 million in progeny earnings. Among his top horses this year are Dubai World Cup (G1) winner Magnitude, Forward Gal S. (G3) winner On Time Girl, and Kentucky Derby hopefuls Nearly and Six Speed.
