Katie M’lady has no problem with Illini Princess Handicap's move to dirt

Neither a surface switch nor a 127-pound impost could keep Katie M’lady from a popular win Sunday at Hawthorne in the $71,250 Illini Princess Handicap.

Rain this weekend forced the Illini Princess to be moved from turf, Katie M’lady’s preferred surface, to dirt, but Katie M’lady still proved much the best at odds of 1-5.

Stalking the pace of Wanda Strong in a field of just four Illinois-bred older fillies and mares, Katie M’lady coasted to the lead at the three-furlong marker and comfortably kept at bay her Michele Boyce-trained stablemate Journeyist, winning by 3 3/4 lengths. Katie M’lady ($2.80) was timed in 1:45.62 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track and was piloted to victory by Julio Felix. She gave 11 pounds to Journeyist, who finished 5 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Trail Ridge Road.

Boyce is part of the group that bred and owns 6-year-old Katie M’lady, who campaigns for Cherrywood Racing Stables and Oak Rock Racing and now has won nine of 15 starts. Katie M’lady is by Dominus out of Katie the Lady, by Lost Soldier, and is the third generation of her female line to be trained by Boyce.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.