Brown has three top contenders in Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup

LEXINGTON, Ky. – No word if Chad Brown got to shake hands with Queen Elizabeth II when in England for the Tattersalls Sales early this week, nor whether he got to tell her he’s hoping to once again win the race that will be run in her honor back in the colonies Saturday.

Missed opportunities aside, Brown will be all business when on hand at Keeneland to send out three of the favorites in the 36th running of the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, the sixth and final Grade 1 of the fall meet.

Brown was scheduled to be here following a stopover in New York, from where he dispatched assistant Whit Beckman last week to oversee the final pre-race training moves at Keeneland for QE II fillies Cafe Americano, Cambier Parc, and Regal Glory.

“They’ve all trained very well since we brought them down from Belmont Park,” Beckman said. “I guess Cambier Parc is probably the favorite of the bunch since she won the Grade 1 last out,” referring to the Del Mar Oaks, “but Cafe Americano ran really well, too,” in winning the Grade 3 Pucker Up on the Arlington Million undercard in her latest. “Regal Glory,” a dead-heat winner of the Grade 2 Lake Placid last out, “can step up, too. All three fillies are coming into the race in good shape and ought to have a shot.”

From the hedge, this is the field of nine 3-year-old fillies for the QE II, to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the turf – Lady Prancealot, Kelsey’s Cross, Cambier Parc, Princesa Carolina, Castle Lady, Cafe Americano, Magnetic Charm, Varenka, and Regal Glory.

Three invited fillies were not entered – Carnival Colors, Maxim Rate, and Mucho Unusual.

Magnetic Charm is owned by the Queen, who has been represented on three prior occasions by Keeneland starters, although never in the race named for her. New Assembly was her lone winner here on April 11, 2001.

The QE II is the ninth of 10 Saturday races. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the feature going at 5:30 p.m.

Brown, the Eclipse Award-winning trainer the last three years, is a two-time winner of the QE II, with Dayatthespa (2012) and Rushing Fall (2018).