Up-and-coming Motion duo take next step in Appalachian

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Grade 2, $400,000 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland has been an early season proving ground for stellar turf fillies. Future Eclipse Award champions Dayatthespa (2012), Lady Eli (2015), and Rushing Fall (2018) all won the race. Other recent winners include Canadian champion Catch a Glimpse (2016), as well as Winter Memories (2011) and La Coronel (2017), both Grade 1 winners later in the season.

A field of eight 3-year-old fillies will try to step up and join that stellar list in the Appalachian on Saturday, including stakes winners Dolce Zel, Kneesnhips, Ouraika, and Spendarella. The Appalachian is run at one mile on the turf.

The lightly raced but promising Spendarella and European import Ouraika, both trained by Graham Motion, each is coming off a stakes victory. Spendarella won her debut going 1 1/16 miles on turf Feb. 2 at Gulfstream Park, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 80. She improved that figure by 10 points when leading throughout to win the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride at a mile on March 5 at Gulfstream.

“She hasn’t missed a beat,” Motion said. “This seemed like a logical race to go to. I was pleasantly surprised how comfortably she won the stakes in Florida. Obviously, we liked her a lot off the maiden win, but that was bigger and she did it kind of with authority.”

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Ouraika came to Motion’s barn last year from her native France. After finishing fourth in the Chelsey Flower and second in an allowance/optional-claiming event in New York, she broke through with a head victory in the Grade 3 Sweet Life on Feb. 12 at Santa Anita. The Sweet Life was at 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. Ouraika’s maiden victory in France was at seven furlongs.

“I think she’ll get the mile,” Motion said. “With her pedigree, you’d think she would handle it. The key to her is that she settles coming off that sprint race.”

Dolce Zel is also a European import. She came to Chad Brown’s barn after a maiden victory last October in France. She won her only start in the U.S., taking the Grade 3 Florida Oaks by a head on the turf at Tampa Bay on March 12 and earning a 76 Beyer.

Prior to the race, Brown had warned jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. that Dolce Zel might wait on horses if she made the lead early. Ortiz rode accordingly, ready to urge the filly in the lane. Ortiz, who rides Dolce Zel back on Saturday, may have to chase Spendarella, who appears to be the lone committed front-runner.

A victory for Brown would give him the all-time record for wins in the Appalachian, breaking a tie with Todd Pletcher. Each has saddled three winners.

An Agent Mistake was a maiden claiming winner sprinting on the Santa Anita turf. Off that, Doug O’Neill stepped her up in class, and she was beaten less than a length by the streaking Lucky Girl in the one-mile China Doll, earning an 83 Beyer.

Kneesnhips won the Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial in her first start of 2022. She is trained by Tom Amoss. Completing the field are Glenall, Skims, and Trobairitz.

Turf conditions could play a factor, as this week has been wet and cloudy in Lexington. Showers were expected Friday, with a temperature drop Saturday leaving rain or even snow possible. Dolce Zel and Ouraika both won their maidens on turf rated good to soft in France, and Dolce Zel won the Florida Oaks on good turf. Kneesnhips won on good turf at Fair Grounds, and was stakes-placed on yielding turf at Saratoga last year.