Tam Tam unthreatened en route to Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup triumph
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Tam Tam went straight to the lead -- and straight to the top of the 3-year-old filly turf division on Saturday at Keeneland.
Sailing clear a few strides into the race, Tam Tam never faced a challenge and won the Grade 1, $732,188 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup by 2 1/4 lengths.
Jockey Junior Alvarado came into the QE II with a plan: Take the fight to nine rivals and ride Tam Tam like the best horse.
She was – clearly.
Faithful Departed, who had beaten Tam Tam 3 1/4 lengths on May 30 in the Regret at Churchill Downs, got a good stalking trip, saving ground just behind the leader, and came out to make a run in upper stretch, but even as she did, Tam Tam was widening her advantage, and in the end, it really was no contest.
Faithful Departed finished second by one length over third-place Braida, who shipped in from France and got a Grade 1 placing making her first start in group or graded-stakes company.
Storm’s Wake rallied for fourth, while 2-1 favorite Luster didn’t come close to running her race. She stalked the pace from second, but looked gassed at the five-sixteenths marker and faded through the homestretch to finish eighth.
Tam Tam found her stride early this summer and won the listed Tepin at Churchill Downs by almost six lengths on June 27. She shipped to California and proved 1 1/2 lengths best in the Del Mar Oaks, and scored even more definitively Saturday racing over a rain-softened, rough-looking grass course that played slow and was officially rated “good.” Tam Tam clocked 1:49.91, the slowest-winning QE II time since 2018. Third choice, Tam Tam paid $10.54 to win.
Philip Bauer trains Tam Tam for Richard Rigney’s Rigney Racing, and Rigney paid $975,000 for Tam Tam as a yearling. Tam Tam is by Medaglia d’Oro out of Princess Julia, by Distorted Humor, and has put together an excellent season this year, going 7-5-1-1, after Bauer switched her to turf for her sophomore campaign. No 3-year-old turf filly has put together a better one.
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