NEWS
Proceed Bee takes Hawthorne Derby
Posted: Saturday, October 10, 2009 7:37 PM
PROCEED BEE
FourFootedFotos.com
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by Patrick Reed
Proceed Bee rallied seven wide into the stretch and continued willingly despite drifting out through the center of Hawthorne Race Course’s turf course to win the $200,000 Hawthorne Derby (G3) by 2¼ lengths over Sir Al (Ire).
The three-year-old Bernstein gelding notched his second consecutive stakes win for owner Bill Stiritz after annexing the Honor Glide Stakes at Arlington Park on September 7 and claimed his first career graded stakes victory on Saturday.
Sent off at 11.70-to-1 odds, Proceed Bee patiently tracked in fourth through the backstretch under Chris Emigh as multiple stakes winner Romacaca led the field of ten three-year-olds through an opening half-mile in :48.98, with steady pressure from Grade 3 winner No Inflation. Romacaca shook off No Inflation on the far turn but was challenged in early stretch by longshot Quite a Handful and Sir Al as Emigh fanned Proceed Bee well to the outside for a closing rally.
Romacaca tired in midstretch and was overtaken by both Sir Al and Quite a Handful, who dueled along the inside to the finish, but Emigh kept Proceed Bee free and clear in the straight to win by a comfortable margin, covering 1 1/8 miles in 1:57 on turf rated as soft.
Sir Al held off Quite a Handful by a neck for second, while Romacaca faded to fifth and 2.30-to-1 favorite No Inflation finished ninth in the ten-horse field.
Proceed Bee has proven to be a versatile performer for trainer Scott Becker this year, winning stakes on dirt and Polytrack surfaces before his back-to-back turf stakes victories. With the Hawthorne Derby win, Proceed Bee improved his career record to seven wins in 14 starts – with five stakes wins – and boosted his cumulative earnings to $412,894. He is out of the winning Private Terms mare Procession and his second dam is 1986 Diana Handicap (G2) winner Duty Dance.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Patrick Reed is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
