Miss Temple City tunes up with perfect trip in Ladies Turf
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Miss Temple City loves her some Kentucky.
Confidently ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, the 5-year-old mare got a perfect tightener for an upcoming race at Keeneland with a well-measured victory Saturday in the $340,100 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf, the first of four straight stakes on the richest day of the 2017 Kentucky Downs meet.
“I’m just glad we got through this,” said Graham Motion, who trains Miss Temple City for a three-way partnership including The Club Racing. “This was a means to get her back to Keeneland. We know she loves Keeneland.”
As a three-time Grade 1 winner, Miss Temple City was the most accomplished horse ever to race at Kentucky Downs. Two of those came in an historic sweep against males last year at Keeneland, in the Maker’s 46 in the spring and the Shadwell Turf Mile in the fall.
Motion would not commit to a return in the Shadwell, since the Grade 1 First Lady also is a logical option on the same date, Oct. 7, at the Lexington track.
“We’re just very happy with this today,” he said. “We’ll have time to look at all that.”
Miss Temple City had a perfect trip in the one-mile Ladies Turf when breaking sharply and sitting a relaxed second just off the pace set by Zipessa. Down the long stretch, as Linda angled toward the rail to make it a three-way battle, Miss Temple City edged away under intermittent urging from Prado, winning by a neck over Zipessa, with Linda settling for third, another three lengths back. Beauly was not a threat when fourth.
Miss Temple City, by Temple City, now has won 7 of 19 starts and earned $1,677,868. She finished in 1:36.91 over the firm going and paid $3.60 as favorite in a field of six.
The $2 exacta (5-4) paid $11.80, the $1 trifecta (5-4-2) returned $11.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-4-2-1) was worth $2.19.
The purse for the Ladies Turf included $200,000 in bonuses for registered Kentucky-breds, with all but Beauly qualifying.
** Two races earlier, Mutazen had to be euthanized after suffering a catastrophic injury to his left foreleg when being pulled up at about the half-mile pole in a one-mile allowance. Jockey Jose Lezcano was not injured, and no other horses or jockeys were involved. Mutazen, a 5-year-old gelding, won two of 13 career starts for owner Shadwell Stable.
Dr. David Harris, a Kentucky Horse Racing Commission veterinarian, suffered a facial injury when Mutazen reared up and struck him as the doctor was assisting in loading him on the equine ambulance.
