Grade 1 winners A Mo Reay and Pauline’s Pearl, both emerging from the same race at Churchill Downs, look to return to their best form in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fleur de Lis Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday afternoon at Ellis Park, one of two dirt stakes on the undercard of the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. A Mo Reay won her first three starts for trainer Brad Cox after moving from Todd Pletcher’s barn following her sale at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton November auction. The filly won the Pago Hop Stakes at Fair Grounds and the Grade 3 Bayakoa at Oaklawn before shipping to Santa Anita to win the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in March. However, on May 5, the filly’s late bid flattened out when she was fourth in a solid edition of the Grade 1 La Troienne, at 1 1/16 miles. “I think the mile-and-an-eighth distance in the Fleur de Lis should suit her well,” Cox said. “She’s a Grade 1 winner and a very consistent filly.” Pauline’s Pearl, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the 2022 edition of the La Troienne, defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil. Pauline’s Pearl went on to finish fourth in the Shawnee, then third to Shedaresthedevil in last summer’s Fleur de Lis. :: Get ready for summer racing with a DRF Formulator Quarterly PP plan Pauline’s Pearl got an extended break and returned well to win the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic. But since then, she has finished seventh in the Beholder Mile in California and sixth in her La Troienne defense. The back class of A Mo Reay and Pauline’s Pearl makes them clear standouts in this field of eight if they return to their best form. Their challengers include Bellamore, Grade 2-placed in California this season; Heartyconstitution, a last-out stakes winner against her fellow Pennsylvania-breds; Moon Swag, a stakes winner over the winter at Fair Grounds; and Royal Take Charge, making her stakes debut after winning three of her four starts to date. Kelly’s Landing Stakes Bango will have to wait until at least this fall to continue his pursuit of the record for the most wins at Churchill Downs. The $225,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes has been shifted to Ellis, along with the rest of this weekend’s typical Churchill fixtures. But the move might be just fine for the 6-year-old Bango. His seven career stakes wins also include the 2021 Good Lord Stakes at Ellis, part of a campaign in which he also won the Kelly’s Landing. He goes for a stakes double at Ellis and a double in this race on Saturday in Henderson, Ky. Bango made two appearances at Churchill Downs this spring, winning the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes for his 10th win at the track, just one win away from tying the record set by Ready’s Rocket with 11 Louisville wins from 2005-12. Bango most recently was second by 1 3/4 lengths to Grade 1 winner Gunite in a strong edition of the Aristides Stakes on June 3. He earned a career-high 105 Beyer Speed Figure. “I thought he ran a really good race and ended up being second-best to a really nice horse,” trainer Greg Foley said. “This race could have been a Grade 1 with these horses in it. . . . [Jockey John Velazquez] told me he may have moved a little bit too soon, but he still ran a really hard race against a quality winner.” Tyler Gaffalione, who has ridden Bango several times, including in the St. Matthews, will be back in the irons Saturday as they meet some familiar foes. Tejano Twist is a three-time stakes winner, most notably taking the Grade 3 Whitmore earlier this year at Oaklawn, in a campaign in which he has not finished off the board in six outings. Tejano Twist was third in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs, won by Cody’s Wish, and then third in the Aristides behind Gunite and Bango. Miles Ahead was third behind Gunite and Tejano Twist in the King Cotton at Oaklawn; second to Tejano Twist in the Whitmore; and second to Bango in the St. Matthews. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.