'Temple' Makes Belated Return

Heavy rains ruled out the participation of The Club Racing LLC, Needle In a Haystack LLC and Sagamore Farm's Miss Temple City (Temple City) in the GII Distaff Turf Mile S. at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day, but the three-time Royal Ascot aspirant (she rolled a pair of fours in the G1 Coronation S. in 2015 and in the G2 Duke of Cambridge S. in soft going last term) appears in the entries in Belmont's 1 1/16-mile grassy GIII Beaugay S. eight days later. Unfortunately, more rainy weather is in the cards for Saturday in Elmont, but trainer Graham Motion's charge landed both the GI Maker's 46 Mile S. and the GI Shadwell Turf Mile S.–both at Keeneland over males in 2016 and looms a potent threat. In her final start of the year after running a respectable fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile Nov. 5, Miss Temple City prevailed by a nose in the Dec. 4 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar.

Chilean MG1SW Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy) had Miss Temple City back in fourth in Saratoga's GI Diana S., with MGSW Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow) one better July 23.Racing for Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds, the Chad Brown trainee closed strongly to take second by a nostril after a rough trip and racing on the wrong lead to that Lael Stables colorbearer most recently in Woodbine's GII Canadian S. Sept. 17. She will also be making her first appearance of the season.

Phillips Racing Partnership's Time and Motion (Tapit) scored over fellow Lael Stables silkbearer and MGSW Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) in third in Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Oct. 15. Hailing from the Jimmy Toner barn, the bay gains blinkers for this test and is looking for redemption after a sixth-place effort in the GI Jenny Wiley S. during the Keeneland Spring Meet going this trip Apr. 15. Stuart Janney homebred, GII Sands Point S. victress On Leave (War Front) ran fourth in the Queen Elizabeth and is looking to get back on track, firing a half-mile bullet over the local turf in :48 2/5 (1/10) May 8.