Motion debating path to Breeders' Cup for Gimme a Nother, Roja

Graham Motion had the only two stakes winners based in the Mid-Atlantic on Arlington Million Day at Colonial Downs, winning the Grade 2 Beverly D. with Gimme a Nother and the $150,000 Andy Guest with Roja. Both female turf stars remain unbeaten in 2026, and with a little luck, both could be working their way to the Breeders’ Cup.

“I want to get [Gimme a Nother] to the Breeders’ Cup, so the question is what’s the best way to get her there,” Motion said. “We can run her one more time or just freshen her up, but that’s been my goal since we didn’t get there last year.”

After earning three runner-up finishes in her first four North American starts, Gimme a Nother has won three straight graded stakes since September 2025. She returned from a splint bone injury in June and won the Grade 3 Eatontown at Monmouth Park by 3 1/2 lengths before rallying late to win the Beverly D. Motion plans to target the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Oct. 31.

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Motion said much the same of Roja, confirming that a potential path to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint will either involve training her up to the race or shipping her for one more start before. Unlike Gimme a Nother, Roja has been a recent addition to the Breeders’ Cup picture, leaping onto the scene with a 101 Beyer Speed Figure when she won the Grade 2 Intercontinental at Saratoga in June.

After winning the Intercontinental, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told Motion that he should consider the filly for the Breeders’ Cup, a move the trainer considered ambitious at the time. She passed another test at Colonial, however, winning in a softer spot by a half-length with an 89 Beyer.

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