Dothraki Queen rallies to win Pocahontas Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dothraki Queen rallied up the rail when passing the entire field in a little more than an eighth of a mile to post a 7-1 victory Saturday in the 47th running of the Grade 2, $200,000 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Corey Lanerie was aboard Dothraki Queen, who held off Bold Quality by a half-length in winning the 1 1/16-mile Pocahontas, a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup. Bold Quality was subsequently disqualified to third for an upper-stretch bump of Dream Dance, a 19-1 shot elevated to second.

Turning for home, the field of eight 2-year-old fillies was tightly bunched, with Lanerie taking the shortest way home. The winner paid $16.80 after finishing in 1:45.80 over a fast track.

“She was always there for me, and she went right up in there when I asked her,” said Lanerie.

Dothraki Queen, a reference to a character on the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones,” is owned by the Magdalena Racing partnership managed by trainer Ken McPeek and his wife, Sherri. The daughter of Pure Prize had just one prior start, a seven-length maiden win on the Ellis Park turf in July.

By virtue of her victory, Dothraki Queen earned an expenses-paid berth to the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland as well as the first 10 points toward eligibility to the 142nd Kentucky Oaks next May. The Pocahontas is the first of 31 points races for the Oaks.

McPeek said Dothraki Queen, a $35,000 purchase last September at the Keeneland yearling sales, will sharpen for the Breeders’ Cup by running in the Grade 1 Alcibiades on opening day of the Keeneland fall meet Oct. 2.

“This filly has always done everything right,” said McPeek. “We’ve just taken our time with her and used the Ellis race as a prep, hoping she’d be competitive in these bigger races.”

Easily the disappointment of the Pocahontas was Just Wicked, the 1-2 favorite off a victory in the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga. The gray filly contended from a wide position on both turns but had no stretch kick under Jose Ortiz when barely managing to finish fourth.

“She was just really flat today,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.

The $2 exacta (5-3) paid $212.20, the $1 trifecta (5-3-2) returned $678.60, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-3-2-7) was worth $161.14.