LEXINGTON, Ky. – Sister Troienne rose to prominence in Florida over the winter, but she got her career started in Kentucky, where an allowance victory last fall on the Keeneland turf marked her as a stakes filly. She returns to Keeneland on Saturday in the Grade 2, $500,000 Appalachian Stakes where she’ll face a one-two punch from another barn in Lion Lake, who edged her last out, and Imaginationthelady, already a Grade 2 winner on this course. The Appalachian, for 3-year-old fillies going a mile on turf, has drawn a field of 11. The turf could very well have some cut in it, a circumstance few of these have faced before. There is rain in the forecast for Lexington on Friday and Saturday, but the timing and amounts are still in flux. Sister Troienne is one of two in the field for trainer Brian Lynch, who also runs Storm’s Wake. Sister Troienne has not missed the board in seven career starts, and following a dirt debut last August, she took off on a five-race win streak. This began with a maiden score on the grass at Churchill Downs, followed by a 1 1/16-mile Keeneland turf allowance on Oct. 22 on a course officially rated good. :: Keeneland Spring Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, picks, news, and more. She kept stepping forward at Gulfstream Park, taking the Wait a While on Nov. 27 when the race was taken off the turf and moved to the synthetic track. She then won the Ginger Brew on Jan. 3 and the Sweetest Chant on Jan. 31 on the turf, improving her Beyer Speed Figures each time. “She’s a big, classy filly,” Lynch said. “She’s an easy keeper. There’s nothing complicated to her. Just hoping that she continues to improve. She sort of seems like she will, and she’s taken everything in stride, and she’s big, strong, and healthy.” Sister Troienne again improved her Beyer to a career-best 86 in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride on Feb. 28. After leading in the stretch, she was nailed by a head at the line by Lion Lake. Storm’s Wake, who had been well-beaten by her stablemate in the Ginger Brew and Sweetest Chant, finished third, beaten just three-quarters of a length. “Seems like [Sister Troienne is] doing good, and very disappointed to see her get beat the way she got beat the other day,” Lynch said. “Put that behind us and move on.” Lion Lake won her maiden going 7 1/2 furlongs at Gulfstream in her fourth career start. The light bulb came on as she took a step forward in her stakes debut at a mile. “She’s one of them that the day she broke her maiden the penny really dropped for her,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “She’s training great.” :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  Walsh will also send out Imaginationthelady for her 3-year-old debut. She won a maiden race at Kentucky Downs, then took the Grade 2 Jessamine on Oct. 3 at Keeneland, rallying to a length win. She had a troubled trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, as she was bumped at the start and again on the far turn, but still finished fourth. “We always felt she’d be a better filly as a 3-year-old anyway,” Walsh said. “I’d say she’s going to have a big year.” Also emerging from the Herecomesthebride is stakes winner Spirit Doll, who was fourth, beaten 2 3/4 lengths. Kokomotion, a debut winner, finished third in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs in just her second start. Alone Time was eighth in that race. Counterbalance and Just Aloof are proven in stakes on the West Coast, where they’ve thrived on firm turf. Counterbalance most recently won the China Doll on March 8 at Santa Anita. Just Aloof won her debut at Aqueduct, then shipped out to win the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante in November at Del Mar in her latest start. Stakes-placed To a Flame and Faithful Departed complete the field. Shakertown My Boy Prince won a $100,000 turf sprint last out at Tampa, came close to another stakes win two races ago at Gulfstream, and finished a solid second last summer in the Grade 1 Jaipur. The Keeneland morning line lists him at a plausible 6-1 for the Grade 2, $400,000 Shakertown Stakes on Saturday. It’s that kind of race. The Shakertown, carded for 5 1/2 furlongs on a grass course that could be some manner of wet, drew 14 entrants and can accommodate a dozen of them. Clock Tower, drawn on the rail, looks too slow. The other 11 in the field’s main body? Can’t totally rule out any of them. My Boy Prince’s problem: He prefers six or seven furlongs, lacks speed in these shorter sprints, and will have to weave his way through a full field. The main speed drew posts 10-12: Rezasrolex, Joe Shiesty, and Usually Wrong. Rezasrolex and Usually Wrong make their Keeneland turf debut. Joe Shiesty has a win and a bad-trip third over the course. Litigation comes off consecutive Gulfstream stakes wins. Yellow Card in his last out and four races ago ran fast enough to contend. Shakertown contenders abound. It’s that kind of race. – additional reporting by Marcus Hersh :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.