Scylla, the figure from Greek mythology, is a man-eating monster that lives in the sea. Scylla, the 4-year-old filly, is turning into a monster. Saturday at Churchill Downs she won her third straight race, going from an easy victory in the Grade 3 Shawnee on June 1 to a neck win in a roughly run renewal of the Grade 2, $500,000 Fleur de Lis. But not before an inquiry of epic length had been conducted. Leaving the gate, Scylla stumbled slightly and was away awkwardly, and instead of taking up a tracking position, as her style suggested was likely, she found herself at the back of a six-horse field in a race unfolding at a crawling tempo. Free Like a Girl, Taxed just outside her, went an opening quarter-mile in 24.07 and then really slowed things down, the half-mile going in a pedestrian 48.83. Still last at the half-mile pole, Javier Castellano on Scylla had little choice but to launch an early, wide move around the turn. Castellano’s mount responded beautifully. Sweeping past her rivals, Scylla cornered very wide into the homestretch while the horses inside her had plenty of energy, owing to the pace, to hold their positions. Straightening up for the wire, Scylla came off her line, drifting in about one path and making contact with Xigera just inside her. Xigera, intimidated and in a tight spot, drifted left and into the flank of Occult, who also was finishing with interest. Occult came back out and slammed Xigera, who was forced out and then got knocked around by Scylla – a mess. The stewards lit the inquiry sign and Julien Leparoux on Xigera claimed foul against Castellano as well as Irad Ortiz Jr. on Occult. A long, long wait ensued. Finally, the lights stopped blinking and the numbers stood in finishing order. No change, surely a confusing decision in the Xigera camp. Castellano in a post-race interview acknowledged Scylla lugged in at the head of the homestretch, and Castellano did do all he could to correct her course, switching to a left-handed crop, steering hard right. The rugby scrum aside, Scylla turned in a strong showing considering ground loss and the pace turning against her. She still might not have won had runner-up Shotgun Hottie gotten any kind of trip. Shotgun Hottie has a measure of tactical speed, but Paco Lopez, looking right then left after breaking from post 2, took a hold of Shotgun Hottie and plunked her behind Free Like a Girl. That didn’t go well. Free Like a Girl was the first horse beaten, fading to a distant last, but maintained her spot to the quarter pole, leaving Shotgun Hottie, who had run, parked behind a wall of rivals. When Free Like a Girl retreated past the three-sixteenths marker, Lopez hit the hole between Taxed and the fence, and though things got tight, Shotgun Hottie went through. She finished best and was gaining with every stride, but the wire came before she could reach Scylla, with a staying-on Taxed another length behind in third. Heavily favored, Scylla paid $3.82 and was timed in 1:49.95 for 1 1/8 miles over a fast track. She’s now 2 for 2 since trainer Bill Mott added blinkers and, with consecutive route wins, has put to rest the notion she’s a better one-turn horse. A Juddmonte Farms homebred, Scylla is by Tapit out of Close Hatches, by First Defence. A family with naval names, a filly from mythology, and a rodeo Saturday in the Fleur de Lis. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.