Grade I on the Line in La Troienne

A field of as many as nine fillies and mares look to earn their respective first Grade I victories in Friday’s La Troienne S. at Churchill. Leading the way on the morning line at 3-1 is Harold Queen homebred Sheer Drama (Burning Roma). The David Fawkes representative overcame a rough start to rally for second in Gulfstream’s seven-panel Florida Sunshine Millions Distaff S. Jan. 17, and filled the same spot in the GIII Rampart S. over a flat mile there Feb. 21. She crushed Rampart winner House Rules (Distorted Humor) by 6 1/2 lengths in a powerful performance in the GII Royal Delta S. at this distance in Hallandale Mar. 21, and was flattered when that runner returned to annex Aqueduct’s GIII Top Flight H. Apr. 11. 

‘TDN Rising Star’ My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song) was second in the GI Kentucky Oaks on this card a year ago, and makes her first start here for new connections. A 7 1/2-length winner of the GII Gazelle S. at the Big A last April, the former Todd Pletcher/Mathis Stable representative pressed the pace in the Oaks before settling for second best behind eventual champion Untapable (Tapit). She finished well back at odds-on in the one-mile GI Acorn S. on the GI Belmont S. undercard in June, and was fifth–at 30 cents on the dollar–in Monmouth’s Lady’s Secret S. Sept. 1. The chestnut brought $2.15 million at last year’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, and resurfaces here for trainer Bill Mott in the colors of Alpha Delta Stables. She was scratched out of Keeneland’s GIII Doubledogdare S. Apr. 17 in favor of this spot, and blew out three furlongs in :35 flat in Lexington Apr. 27. 

Bill Cubbedge’s Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) finished runner-up in this race 12 months ago, and took Ellis’s GIII Gardenia S. in August and the local GII Chilukki S. Nov. 1. A close third behind longshot Frivolous (Empire Maker) in the GII Fall City H. here Nov. 27, the Dale Romans trainee was third on seasonal debut in the Royal Delta. 

Pin Oak homebred Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d’Oro) upset the aforementioned Untapable in the GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn Mar. 14, but could only manage third behind that rival in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 10.