Temple City Terror gets first graded stakes win with Dowager romp

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Temple City Terror continued her upward arc by notching the first graded stakes victory in her 28-race career when romping by an eased-up three lengths Sunday in the Grade 3, $294,688 Dowager Stakes at Keeneland.

Relaxed well back off a hot pace set by Beside Herself and Flying Fortress, Temple City Terror looped the field on the last of three turns in the 1 1/2-mile turf race before drawing off with ease. Tyler Gaffalione was aboard for the partnership of Pocket Aces Racing and Somewhere Stable Kentucky and trainer Brendan Walsh.

“Unbelievable,” Walsh said. “She’s as honest as the day is long.”

Temple City Terror, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Temple City, returned $7.94 as second choice in a field of 10 fillies and mares after 2:27.98 over a course rated firm. Her six prior wins include back-to-back runnings of the ungraded Keertana at Churchill Downs going the same 1 1/2-mile distance.

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Lucky Money was along for second while no threat to the winner, with Sister Otoole another two lengths back in third and Coastana another three lengths back in fourth.

On another gorgeous fall afternoon, Temple City Terror relaxed toward the back of the pack as the others, most notably 9-5 favorite Beside Herself, sped off early. With a quarter-mile to go, however, Temple City Terror already was in full flight when kept in the clear, and she quickly proceeded to make it a one-horse race down the stretch.

“She was doing it all very easy,” Gaffalione said. “They kept coming back to me and I didn’t want to take anything away from her.”

The win gave Gaffalione, the leading rider at the 17-day fall meet that ends this coming Saturday, a sweep of the weekend stakes at Keeneland. The 28-year-old Florida native won here Saturday with Gunite in the Perryville and Wicked Halo in the Grade 2 Raven Run.

Temple City Terror took 10 races to win for the first time, but since then the dark bay mare has improved steadily. She is entered to be sold in Book 1 of the Keeneland November Sales that begins Nov. 7.

The $2 exacta (5-2) paid $52.38, the $1 trifecta (5-2-6) returned $171.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (5-2-6-1) was worth $115.53.

After Sunday, Keeneland goes dark for two days. The final four-day stretch of the meet begins Wednesday with an eight-race card. Churchill Downs starts its fall meet Sunday.

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