Sheep Pond Partners' GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Lady Eli (Divine Park) makes her highly anticipated return in Keeneland's GIII Appalachian S. Sunday. A debut winner at Saratoga last August, the Chad Brown pupil captured Belmont's GIII Miss Grillo S. next out Sept. 28 prior to her triumph in the Breeders Cup Oct. 31. The dark bay has been working well in preparation for this seasonal debut, most recently firing a five-furlong bullet over yielding turf here in 1:04 4/5 Apr. 6.
Also making her sophomore bow in this spot is BC Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Sunset Glow (Exchange Rate). Outrunning the boys to earn her diploma at second asking on the Belmont sod last June, the Ten Broeck Farm colorbearer took a trip across the pond to Royal Ascot, where she finished second in the G3 Albany S. June 20. Returning to the States, the Wesley Ward trainee captured Del Mar's GII Sorrento S. on the synthetic Aug. 6 and followed suit with a win in the GI Del Mar Debutante S. over that surface Aug. 30. The gray filly gets the blinkers off for this first effort since her runner-up effort in the Breeders' Cup.
The ever dangerous Graham Motion saddles Sagamore Farm, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing's Miss Temple City (Temple City) at a bit of a price here. A debut winner sprinting over the Laurel sod last October, the dark bay captured a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer over the Gulfstream lawn next out Dec. 17. She was a game third last time in that venue's one-mile GIII Sweetest Chant S. Jan. 24.
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