Aljazzi looking to double up in Prix Rothschild

Fresh from a career-defining win in the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20, Aljazzi will start favored in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Rothschild for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Deauville, France.

The $349,620 Prix Rothschild is the first Group 1 of the Deauville summer meeting, which continues through Aug. 29.

Aljazzi, trained by Marco Botti, is one of three English shippers in a field of 11, along with the longshots Tribute Act (trained by James Fanshawe) and Tomyris (Roger Varian).

A 5-year-old, Aljazzi was seventh in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar last November. A winner of 5 of 14 starts, Aljazzi was third in the Group 2 Bet365 Mile against males at Sandown Park in April before winning her third stakes in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile by 3 3/4 lengths over Tribute Act.

William Buick rode Aljazzi in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes but has been replaced by Ryan Moore, who has not ridden the mare since a win in the minor Snowdrop Fillies’ Stakes at Kempton Park in England in April 2017.

Buick rides the longshot Crown Walk in the Prix Rothschild. Crown Walk won the Group 3 Prix Chloe for 3-year-old fillies at Deauville on July 9 with Buick in the saddle. Crown Walk is owned by Godophin Racing, for whom Buick rides first call.

Aljazzi’s main rival in the Prix Rothschild is Rosa Imperial, who was fifth against males in the Group 2 Godolphin Mile in Dubai on March 31 and won the minor Prix de la Calonne at Deauville on July 8. Trained by Andre Fabre, Rosa Imperial will have her second start in a Group 1 on Sunday. She was ninth in the Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest for sprinters at Deauville last summer.

French trainer Freddy Head has three runners in the field, led by With You, who was fifth in the Group 1 French Oaks at Chantilly on June 17. With You was second by a short head in the Group 1 Prix Saint-Alary for 3-year-old fillies at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on May 27. Sunday’s race will be her first start against older fillies and mares.