Lady Eli, Sunset Glow renew Breeders’ Cup rivalry in Appalachian
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Appalachian Stakes has been won by a number of standout fillies in recent years, including Dayatthespa and Winter Memories, but this might be the best renewal yet.
Lady Eli and Sunset Glow, the one-two finishers in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall at Santa Anita, head a field of seven 3-year-old fillies set to race a mile on the Keeneland turf Sunday in the 27th running of the Grade 3, $125,000 Appalachian.
“It’s pretty remarkable that you’d get the first two from the Breeders’ Cup in their first starts back,” said Wesley Ward, who trains Sunset Glow for Ten Broeck Farm.
Lady Eli caught the front-running Sunset Glow approaching the eighth pole and went on to win the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf by 2 3/4 lengths to remain unbeaten in three starts in a dominating performance that landed her in the discussion for 2-year-old filly champion of 2014. She lost out on the vote when Take Charge Brandi, the upset winner of the BC Juvenile Fillies on dirt, proceeded to win twice more before the year ended.
Lady Eli, owned by Sheep Pond Partners, wintered in Florida with trainer Chad Brown, and by all accounts, she is approaching her seasonal debut in terrific shape. Although the turf course has taken on a lot of rain since the spring meet opened April 3, dry conditions were in the forecast from Friday afternoon through the weekend.
“She’s been training super,” said Brown. “Hopefully, the turf dries out some because I think she’d prefer it to be firm.”
Brown said Lady Eli was special from the get-go.
“She identified herself as a good one right away,” he said. “The first time I breezed her, she showed that explosive burst she has.”
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The Appalachian is carded as the fifth of nine races on a Sunday program that also includes another 3-year-old filly stakes, the Grade 2, $250,000 Beaumont (race 8). First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days before racing resumes Wednesday.
Key contenders
Lady Eli (Last 3 Beyers: 96-78-72)
* Following victories in a maiden race and the Grade 3 Miss Grillo, she defeated 12 others as the 2-1 favorite in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf in one of the more decisive results of Breeders’ Cup weekend and figures to be odds-on Sunday with nine workouts under her belt in preparation for this.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Lady Eli. Trainer Chad Brown is 20-0-9-2 over the past five years in turf route graded stakes following a layoff of 140 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Sunset Glow (Last 3 Beyers: 90-83-90)
* Winner of the Grade 2 Sorrento and Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last summer in California, she was part of the Ward contingent sent to train this winter over Polytrack at Turfway Park.
“She’s really come around the last few weeks, and I’m really excited to get her back to the races,” said Ward.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Sunset Glow. Trainer Wesley Ward is 28-4-1-2 with a $1.00 ROI over the past five years in turf routes following a layoff of 140 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Miss Temple City (Last 3 Beyers: 79-72-68)
* Has a little more recency than the two favorites after being campaigned at the Gulfstream meet, ending with a good third behind the Brown-trained Consumer Credit in a Grade 3 race.
Tiger Ride (Last 3 Beyers: 84-78-74)
* Nice two-back triumph over the Tampa Bay Downs turf was followed by a fourth in a tough renewal of the Florida Oaks, a race won by Quality Rocks, a proven graded-stakes filly trained by Bill Mott, with Consumer Credit second.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Tiger Ride. Trainer Kellyn Gorder is 6-2-1-0 with a $6.16 ROI over the past year in turf routes at Keeneland. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan