Promising Run pointed to Fillies' Mile following Rockfel triumph

Promising Run, a Kentucky-bred filly by Hard Spun, won her stakes debut Friday in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Newmarket Racecourse in England.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing, Promising Run earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 30 with the win in the seven-furlong Rockfel. Of more immediate interest to trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is a start Oct. 9 in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.

Promising Run was ridden by James Doyle in the $149,500 Rockfel, which drew a field of seven. A 5-1 shot, Promising Run stalked the 20-1 pacesetter Flying Empress to the final furlong before taking the lead. Promising Run won by 1 1/2 lengths over the 7-1 Thetis. Hawksmoor, the 11-8 favorite, closed from the back of the field to finish third, beaten four lengths.

Promising Run has won 2 of 3 starts. She was third in her debut at Goodwood in late July and won a maiden race at Newmarket in late August. The win in the Rockfel led British bookmakers to quote Promising Run as a 25-1 shot for the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket next May.

Thetis was ridden by Ryan Moore, who returned to racing this week after being sidelined for more than two months because of a neck injury. Moore rode the first winner of his comeback with Time Test in Friday’s Group 2 Joel Stakes at a mile, which drew a field of four.

The Joel Stakes was Time Test’s second group stakes win of the year. The colt won the Group 3 Tercentary Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Trainer Roger Charlton said Time Test could be considered for the BC Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Ito among contenders in Grosser Preis Von Europe

Ito, the runner-up in the Group 1 Grosser Preis Von Berlin in August, is one of nine runners Sunday in the $173,670 Grosser Preis Von Europe at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Koln, Germany.

Ito missed a scheduled start Sept. 6 in the Group 1 Grosser Preis Von Baden because of a temperature. His opponents Sunday include the 5-year-old mare Cocktail Queen, who was second in two Group 2 races in Deauville, France, in August, and Empoli, who won the 2014 Grosser Preis Von Europe.

Bookrunner, ninth Aug. 15 in the Arlington Million, is part of a field of 11 Sunday in the $270,600 Premio Vittorio di Capua, a Group 1 race at a mile on turf at San Siro Racecourse in Italy. Bookrunner was a winner in Italy earlier this year.

The Premio Vittorio di Capua field includes the Group 2 stakes winner Kaspersky and Circus Couture, a Group 3 winner in Italy earlier this year.