Divine Miss Grey being pointed to La Troienne

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Danny Gargan was hoping to come out of this weekend with a horse to run on the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs. He already has a horse set to run on the first Friday of May under the twin spires.

Gargan, who was to run Tax in Saturday’s Wood Memorial, plans to run Divine Miss Grey, in the Grade 1, $500,000 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill on May 3. Gargan said he will also nominate Divine Miss Grey to the Grade 1 Humana Distaff going seven furlongs at Churchill, but is inclined to run in the 1 1/16-mile La Troienne.

“I think the sprint division is tougher,” Gargan said. “Plus, a mile and a sixteenth is better than seven furlongs. She might be controlling speed.”

Divine Miss Grey is a six-time stakes winner and earner of $929,372. She made a successful 6-year-old debut, winning the $100,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational by three lengths on March 10. That race was at a one-turn mile, which Gargan believes is Divine Miss Grey’s best game.

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Last year at Churchill, Divine Miss Grey won the Grade 2 Chilukki – a one-turn mile – and was second in the Falls City Handicap at 1 1/8 miles.

On Thursday, Divine Miss Grey went an easy half-mile in 51.48 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.