Quietside breaks through in Honeybee

Feb 23, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Quietside scored for local owner Shortleaf Stable in the Honeybee

Quietside scored for local owner Shortleaf Stable in the Honeybee (Photo by Coady Media)

In addition to the Rebel (G2) on Sunday, Oaklawn Park hosted its companion race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, the $500,000 Honeybee (G3). Quietside broke through with her first stakes victory after four straight placings, while Muhimma, the 9-10 favorite, sustained her first career loss in third.

Quietside, a homebred for Arkansas-based John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable, has been a familiar face on the Oaks trail. Runner-up to eventual divisional champion Immersive in last summer’s Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, she was third to the same rival in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland. Quietside was then second in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs (to Good Cheer), and she settled for second again as the 1-2 favorite in the Jan. 25 Martha Washington S. over this track and trip.

As a result, bettors were less keen on Quietside on Sunday, sending her off as a 10.20-1 shot. Those were the highest odds of her career, and the John Ortiz trainee rewarded those who stuck with her by paying $22.40.

Hitherto unbeaten Muhimma tried to show her usual speed from her rail post, but the wide-drawn Five G beat her to the lead. Quietside also raced forward from post 12 and prompted Five G through fractions of :23.19, :46.87, and 1:11.81.

Muhimma ended up easing back to stalk in third. When the favorite ranged up alongside Quietside and Five G turning for home, she appeared ready to pounce. Instead, Muhimma flattened out and actually lost position.

The two longtime leaders were left to fight out the finish, and Quietside proved the stronger. Pulling a length clear, she covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.63 to give hot-riding Jose Ortiz his fourth win on the card.

Quietside, who added 50 points, now has 68 in all to top the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. The Malibu Moon filly was also boosting her bankroll to $552,200 from a record of 6-2-3-1.

Five G opened her Oaks account with 25 points. Muhimma ultimately finished another 3 1/2 lengths back in third, good for 15 points to increase her total to 25. Necessity was fourth (10 points) at every call in her stakes debut. Quickick got up for fifth (five points), giving her an overall tally of 19.

Next came Anonima; slow-starting Look Forward; Jenkin; Going Steady; the troubled Take Charge Milady, who had beaten Quietside by 5 3/4 lengths in the Martha Washington; Gunite Max; Flash Wear; and the tailed-off Classic Appeal.

Quietside was winning a race that had eluded her mother, the Speightstown mare Benner Island, who was runner-up in the 2017 Honeybee. Benner Island, a full sister to multiple Grade 3 victress Victim of Love, later scored in the Eight Belles (G2). This is the further family of champions Eliza and Elite Power as well as Dialed In, eighth as the favorite in the 2011 Kentucky Derby (G1).

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