French import My Year Is a Day adds intrigue to Edgewood
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With standout Lady Eli taking a pass after dominating her season debut in April, the consistent Sunset Glow and rising star Quality Rocks loom as the standouts in the Grade 3, $150,000 Edgewood Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard Friday at Churchill Downs.
Joining the fray, however, is an intriguing new player in My Year Is a Day. She is making her first start since September – and, more notably, her first start in the United States. A minor stakes winner in France at 2, My Year Is a Day was a private purchase by Town and Country Farms and sent to the care of trainer Graham Motion.
“I haven’t had her that long,” Motion said. “I’ve only had her just over a month. We had this race in mind when she was purchased.”
My Year Is a Day won 3 of 7 starts last year, only missing the board once. After finishing second in the Prix Six Perfections to Tigrilla, who is now Group 3-placed, My Year Is a Day landed the Criterium de l’Ouest on Sept. 8 at Craon, leading home stakes winner Wag ’n Tail by two lengths. She now stretches out from the mile of that event to 1 1/16 miles.
“I worry a little bit about it,” Motion said. “But I think she’ll handle it.”
My Year Is a Day, who gets the services of John Velazquez, drew post 4 in a salty field of eight.
Sunset Glow turned in an ambitious campaign as a 2-year-old last season for Wesley Ward, including a win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and a runner-up effort to Lady Eli in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She returned from a five-month layoff to finish third behind Lady Eli in the Grade 3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland.
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Quality Rocks stepped up over the winter in Florida for Bill Mott, finishing second to Consumer Credit in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream Park before turning the tables on that rival to win the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.
Edgewood Stakes, race 6
KEY CONTENDERS
My Year Is a Day
◗ First start in United States and first since September. Has turned in solid works at Motion’s Fair Hill, Md., base.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 My Year Is a Day. Trainer Graham Motion is 17-8-1-2 with a $5.28 ROI over the past five years in turf routes with foreign shippers in the first start following a trainer switch and a layoff of 180 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Sunset Glow (Last 3 Beyers: 88-90-83)
◗ Never worse than third in Grade 1-winning campaign at 2 with races on both sides of the country, a trip to Royal Ascot, and two clashes with Lady Eli.
◗ Owns co-highest career Beyer Speed Figure of field with a pair of 90s; ran an 88 in 2015 debut.
Quality Rocks (Last 3 Beyers: 90-79-79)
◗ Emerged as a graded stakes winner over three-time stakes winner Consumer Credit.
◗ Ran a 90 Beyer in the Florida Oaks, the best last-out figure in the field.
◗ May need to use tactical speed from the rail.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Quality Rocks. Trainer Bill Mott is 25-2-3-0 with a $0.72 ROI over the past five years in turf route graded stakes at Churchill. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Lady Zuzu (Last 3 Beyers: 85-62-75)
◗ Seven-figure yearling won maiden at Keeneland when stretched out to a mile on turf.
◗ Returns to D. Wayne Lukas barn after a pair of unplaced efforts in California for Paulo Lobo.
Feathered (Last 3 Beyers: 74-66-86)
◗ Multiple Grade 1-placed on dirt, tries turf for the first time; out of a Dynaformer mare and from the family of graded stakes winner Optimizer, she has some background for it.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Feathered. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 14-1-4-2 with a $0.40 ROI over the past five years going dirt to turf in graded stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan