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If it weren’t for tough luck, English Bee  wouldn’t have much at all. Since winning the Virginia Derby (G3T) and Parx Fall Derby back-to-back in the summer and fall of 2019, the 7-year-old gelding has raced 18 times with two wins and been beaten by five lengths or fewer in 10 graded-stakes.

Two of those losses came at Gulfstream Park in the $150,000 Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T), first beaten a half-length by Sombeyay   in 2020 and then four lengths when third to Mira Mission  last year. Trainer Graham Motion is hoping the third time is the charm for English Bee.

“I was very pleased with his comeback race. I think this kind of course really suits him. I think he likes the firmer-type tracks,” Motion said. “I felt good about him, and I thought it was a great spot for him. I wanted to give him plenty of time to get over that race and I thought that this race made sense.”

Other contestants include WellSpring Stables’ Safe Conduct , winner of the 2021 Queen’s Plate Stakes. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher entered the pair of Emmanuel , making his second turf start this year, and Steady On , who will be making his graded stakes debut. Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s three-time stakes winner Dakota Gold ; multiple stakes winner California Frolic ; 2022 Tale of the Cat Stakes winner Fort Washington ; Foxbrook Farm’s Good Governance ; 12-time winner Shadow Sphinx ; and Bruno Schickedanz’s grade 3-placed Souper Dormy  finish out the field.

Graded Winners Faith In Humanity and Speak of the Devil Return for Brown in Honey Fox

The waiting game is over for trainer Chad Brown when it comes to a pair of his long-absent female turf runners. 

Klaravich Stables’ Faith in Humanity , a 4-year-old Lope de Vega  filly, and Peter Brant’s Speak of the Devil , a 6-year-old Wootton Bassett  mare, will come back to the races Saturday when they represent Brown in the $150,000 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T).

Faith in Humanity, who will be ridden by Joel Rosario for the first time, hasn’t been seen since winning the $150,000 Pebbles Stakes (G3T) at Aqueduct on Sept. 18. Speak of the Devil, who gets Gulfstream’s leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. for the first time, has been away even longer. Her last race was the $500,000 Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont on June 11, where she finished fourth as the even-money favorite.

Brown said Speak of the Devil needed surgery after the Just a Game and that put her on the equine disabled list. Faith in Humanity, Brown said, had a minor issue after the Pebbles—it did not require surgery—and needed some time.

“I am cautiously optimistic that both these fillies will have good seasons,” Brown said. “Just want to keep them healthy. They are a pair of nice stakes fillies.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is one of nine trainers bringing horses to the Honey Fox to challenge Brown; he will saddle Gainesway Stable’s White Frost . Dewberry Thoroughbreds’ Princess Theorem  has hit the board in six of her 11 turf starts for trainer Brendan Walsh. Trevor Harris’ Sweet Enough  will be looking to rebound from a last-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G3T).

Also entered are Kahiko , Miss Delicious , Miss Yearwood , Touch of Class , Fast as Flight , and Sweet Dani Girl .

This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.

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