‘Italia’ Hopes to Take Home the Crown

Godolphin Racing’s Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d’Oro) looks to secure her third straight victory and first at the highest level in Keeneland’s GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Saturday. Earning her diploma at second asking when stretched to this 1 1/8-mile distance over the lawn at Aqueduct Apr. 19, the Kiaran McLaughlin pupil captured a grassy Belmont allowance May 28 and was fourth behind the undefeated Lady Eli (Divine Park) after a wide trip in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 4. With Joel Rosario stepping in for Luis Saez, the bay scored back-to-back victories in Saratoga’s GII Lake Placid S. and Belmont’s GII Sands Point S. Sept. 12. Sentiero Italia gets the morning-line nod at 6-5 despite drawing the outside post in this nine-horse affair. (Click here for an interview with Godolphin’s Jimmy Bell).

Also exiting the Sands Point are runner-up Blond Me (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and third-place finisher Miss Temple City (Temple City). Owned by Mrs. Barbara Keller, Blond Me broke her maiden at third asking in a one-mile test at Salisbury June 14 and captured Sandown’s Coral Distaff next out July 4. A neck second in her final European start in Sandown’s G3 Atalanta S. Aug. 22, the Andrew Balding trainee displayed an impressive late turn of foot to take second in her American debut in the Sands Point. Opening her account with a pair of victories last term at Laurel Oct. 10 and Gulfstream Dec. 17, Miss Temple City finished third in the GIII Sweetest Chant S. in Hallandale Jan. 24 and second to Lady Eli in the GIII Appalachian S. over this course Apr. 12. Capturing Pimlico’s Hilltop S. next out May 15, the Sagamore Farm, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing runner took a trip across the pond, where she finished a respectable fourth in Royal Ascot’s G1 Coronation S. June 19. The dark bay was second in the Lake Placid prior to her third in the Sands Point last out, and trainer Graham Motion gives her Lasix for the first time here.

Conditioner Jim Cassidy ships DP Racing’s Prize Exhibit (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in from California for this event. Winner of Santa Anita’s GIII Senorita S. June 27 and Del Mar’s GII San Clemente H. July 19, the dark bay finished third in the GI Del Mar Oaks Aug. 15 and was runner-up in that venue’s GII Yellow Ribbon H. last time Sept. 6. She fired a three-panel bullet in :36 1/5 in her last work in Arcadia Oct. 2.

Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Her Emmynency (Successful Appeal) enters off a second-place finish in the Del Mar Oaks for trainer Mike Stidham. Kicking off this term with an optional claimer victory in an off-the-turfer at Arlington June 20, the bay was sixth in the San Clemente prior to her runner-up effort last out. The red-hot Florent Geroux, who was aboard for her last success at Arlington, gets back in the irons for this one.

Another runner worth a look in this test is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’s Feathered (Indian Charlie), who has been ultra-consistent since switching to the turf four starts back. The Todd Pletcher trainee captured her turf debut in Churchill’s GIII Edgewood S. May 1 and was a close second next out when shipped west for Santa Anita’s 1 1/4-mile GI American Oaks May 30. Completing the exacta again last time in Saratoga’s GII Lake George S. July 24, the bay won a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer on the lawn there last time Aug. 30.