A week ago, the last time Keeneland held a 1st place match for the women’s grass router, coach Chad Brown ran 1-2-4 with In Italy , King of Glory and Technical analysis in the First Lady’s Shares presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) on 8 October.
Now Brown is back on October 15 in the Lexington Oval Office, once again with the power of quality and quantity, this time running a doubles in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Dixiana (G1T) display. The duo—McKulick and Gina Romantica —An imposing 1-2 punch, with the former being considered a short-priced favorite and the latter being one of the side-bet options in the 1/8 mile grass race for those 3 year old child.
Inaugurated in 1984, QEII has grown into one of the most prestigious grass races in the country among sophomores. It has long honored Queen Elizabeth II, who died last month as the UK’s longest-serving monarch.
While Saturday’s lineup drew a 1st place winner in McKulick, this year’s seven-man roster won’t embody classic QEII innovation. Spendarella one of the top 3-year-old players in this country, sidelined, and the Canadian star Moira race in the EP Taylor Stakes (G1T) October 8 at Honeysuckle. Three of the 10 people invited to the race also skipped it, including the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1T) winner. Pizza Bianca someone else goes on Saturday with $200,000 Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Aqueduct race track.
All of those situations suggest that Brown could be positioned to win his fifth QEII with one of his duos. He’s already the most winning coach in race history, securing his four wins with Dayatthespa in 2012, Autumn rush 2018, Cambier Park in 2019, and Shantisara in 2021.
Klaravich Stables’ McKulick caught two legs in the New York Racing Association’s lucrative Turf Tiara series this summer and fall, qualifying for the first time at the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park July 9 and most recently caught the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3T) at Water troughs September 17. In between those races, she finished second in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) on August 7 at Racecourse Saratoga.
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Daughter of Frankel Named after Brown’s late accountant and first employee Mary McKulick, was 3-3-1 in seven starts with a whopping $1 million in earnings.
Irad Ortiz Jr., on board for her last three starts, kept her mount.
Peter Brant’s Gina Romantica failed to match the four-time Eclipse Award-winning coach, although she was a limited bet winner and eventual runner-up in the Pebbles Stakes (G3T) at the Aqueduct September 18 Daughter of Into Mischief First time stretching up to 1/8 mile and has Flavien Prat in the saddle.
Eve finished ahead of McKulick in a start of three games this year, beating her in the Edgewood Stakes presented by Forcht Bank (G2T) on Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs. Despite being very well beaten by her by placing eighth in the Belmont Oaks, intern Brendan Walsh was then just a neck behind her when she was enchanted in a location photo in Saratoga Oaks.
The The joy of kittens filly, owned by Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Fergus Galvin, then disappointed to be the favorite in Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks for being unique Kentucky Downs course on September 5 on her last outing.
Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Eve Preparations in Keeneland
QEII includes a foreign invader on Glen Hill’s Farm Peacock Paris who will try to be the third 3-year-old to train in Europe to win the race.
Still a teenager after seven starts, sometimes losing with tough rides, Paris Peacock has since won two in a row.
Niall “Bubba” Amond, head runner for trainer Jessica Harrington, said: “She kept hitting a tough herd and for the sixth time, she couldn’t get any daylight. “. “She broke her maidenhood in a listed race with the older and then won group 3 with the older.”
Her trip to the states marked her first trip outside of her native Ireland.
“She had to go from Dublin to Paris and then to Chicago, where she was quarantined before coming here,” Amond said, adding that the filth would stay in the US to race after the QEII.
Paris Peacock sometimes raced close to speed, which could prove to be key in a race with less obvious speed. The Brown duo also sometimes stays close to slow fractions.
Item: Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Awarded by Dixiana (G1T)
KeenelandSaturday, October 15, 2022, Race No. 9
- IT class
- 1 1/8 minutes
- Turf
- 600,000 dollars
- 3 yo Fillies
- 5:16 pm (local)
