Miss Temple City, Lady Zuzu seek stakes breakthrough in Hilltop
BALTIMORE – Miss Temple City and Lady Zuzu both acquitted themselves well against stiff competition in graded stakes in Kentucky this spring. Their performances make them standouts as each seeks a first stakes score in the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf Friday at Pimlico.
Miss Temple City won both of her starts as a juvenile and since then has stepped up to perform admirably in stakes company for trainer Graham Motion. The filly was third in the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park behind Consumer Credit and Quality Rocks. Four months later, she finished second to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, Lady Eli, in the Grade 3 Appalachian at Keeneland.
“Lady Eli looks like she could be perhaps the best filly in the country, 3-year-old or older,” Motion said. “It’s a little unfortunate to have to run against her, but I think [Miss Temple City] is a really nice filly.”
Miss Temple City drew the outside post for the Hilltop, which was reduced to nine starters with the scratch of Gypsy Judy in favor of the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes later in the day. Regular rider John Velazquez has the call.
Lady Zuzu finished third in the Grade 3 Edgewood Stakes on May 1 at Churchill Downs, racing evenly throughout but unable to quicken with Feathered and Quality Rocks in the lane. The effort was a step in the right direction for the filly, who returned to trainer D. Wayne Lukas this spring after a pair of unplaced efforts for Paulo Lobo in California. Lukas handled the filly as a juvenile, when she won once from three starts, the lone victory coming at a mile on turf at Keeneland.
Lady Zuzu will break from post 4 under Corey Nakatani.
Key contenders
Miss Temple City (Last 3 Beyers: 88-79-72)
* Posted a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88 in the Appalachian, giving her the top number in this field.
* Turned in a bullet work at Motion’s Fair Hill base in company with the graded stakes-placed Donworth in preparation for this, going five furlongs in 1:00 on May 9 on the all-weather training track.
Lady Zuzu (Last 3 Beyers: 73-81-62)
* Filly from the final crop of Dynaformer was a $1,225,000 purchase to lead the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale. She is a half-sister to Optimizer, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf.
* Following a positive effort last out, she is likely to be more of a pace factor.
Ayaady (Last 2 Beyers: 81-74)
* Chad Brown trainee rallied to win her debut in January at Gulfstream Park. She then finished second by a neck in a Keeneland allowance in her first try against winners.
* Promising filly, who drew the rail under Javier Castellano, will need some pace to run at.
C’Est Moi (Last 3 Beyers: 70-81-61)
* Finished third, a neck behind Ayaady, in a Keeneland allowance; checked in fifth with a troubled trip in her following outing, when she was bumped at the break and bothered on the backstretch.
* Victor Carrasco has the mount on the Jonathan Sheppard trainee.