Pleasant Passage heads Florida-dominated Appalachian Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Florida invaders will dominate the pre-race speculation into the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes.

Pleasant Passage, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall at Keeneland, will make her seasonal debut Saturday versus eight other 3-year-old fillies in the $400,000 Appalachian after finishing off her winter training in Florida for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.

All of her opponents except Beautifulnavigator either trained or raced in Florida at some point over the last several months, too. Cairo Consort, who figures to vie for favoritism with Pleasant Passage, accomplished the most during that time, winning back-to-back stakes on the Gulfstream Park turf and becoming one of the major players in this division.

Pleasant Passage, with Tyler Gaffalione riding, will break from post 7 in the Appalachian, which goes at a mile on turf. After closing stoutly in the Breeders’ Cup to finish second behind Meditate, the Emory Hamilton homebred was sent to Niall Brennan in Ocala before returning in late February to McGaughey, who sent her through four Payson Park breezes – three of them bullets – that should have her primed to resume her promising career. Before the Breeders’ Cup, the More Than Ready filly won both her starts, including the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on the Aqueduct turf.

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Cairo Consort (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.) has improved her stature in recent months after finishing third at 19-1 behind Meditate and Pleasant Passage in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray Cairo Prince filly won the Jan. 7 Ginger Brew before returning four weeks later with an effort that almost had to be seen to be believed, as she rallied to win the Grade 3 Sweetest Chant despite badly blowing the break. Her lone interim race was solid, too, as she just got going too late when third in a three-way photo in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride five weeks ago at Gulfstream.

The balance of the Appalachian cast includes a handful of capable fillies with upset aspirations. Papilio was second in the Herecomesthebride scramble. Alpha Bella was second to Cairo Consort, her Pletcher stablemate, before running second again in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks four weeks ago at Tampa Bay Downs. Heavenly Sunday was third in the Sweetest Chant after winning her only two prior starts. Be Your Best, ninth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, won the P.G. Johnson on closing weekend at Saratoga. Well Into makes her stakes debut off two front-running wins over the Gulfstream Park turf.

The listed purse for the Appalachian includes $100,000 in Kentucky-bred bonuses. Only the Irish-breds Beautifulnavigator, Papilio, and Be Your Best are ineligible.

The Appalachian goes at 3:25 p.m. Eastern as the sixth of 11 Saturday races. It’s the leadoff leg in a couple of popular wagers – the 50-cent minimum all-graded-stakes pick four ending with the Blue Grass Stakes, and the $3-minimum Keeneland Turf Pick-3 (races 6-8-11).

Spendarella was the 2022 Appalachian winner for Gaffalione and trainer Graham Motion.

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