Inthemidstofbiz shows how far she's come by upsetting the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. - When Inthemidstofbiz made her first start at Keeneland, in October 2019, it was in a claiming race. In her second start at Keeneland, she made her graded stakes debut and punched her ticket to the Breeders' Cup with an upset victory in the Grade 2, $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on Saturday.

The six-furlong race for fillies and mares awarded the winner a berth into the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, to be contested at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

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Inthemidstofbiz is trained and co-owned by Cipriano Contreras, who with Andrew Knapczyk claimed her for $20,000 out of her third career start in October 2019. The filly has won 5 of 9 starts for the partnership in a busy and varied 2020 campaign that has taken her to four states. She came into the Thoroughbred Club of America off a victory in the Satin and Lace Stakes on Aug. 31 on the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs.

“We got lucky today,” Contreras said. “She’s getting better and better. We claimed this filly and ran her for [a $16,000 tag] at Oaklawn. She started running better, and we took a shot. It worked out.”

With Martin Garcia in the irons, Inthemidstofbiz was never more than a length off the lead. She vied between horses as Lady's Island, breaking from the outside post, raced the opening quarter in 22.12 seconds while pressed by Palace Avenger. Inthemidstofbiz came away with the lead coming to the quarter pole through the half in 45.17 and widened her advantage to the wire, finishing the six furlongs in 1:09.84. She paid $28.20 to win.

"When I asked her to go, she made it really easy," Garcia said.

Sneaking Out, who was sent away favored off consecutive victories in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. and the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo in California for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, ran on to be second by a half-length over Palace Avenger.