QE II Challenge Cup (Grade 1)- $800.000 Purse
KEE- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
October 11, 2025

The highlight of the racing schedule this weekend will be the $800.000 Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup from KEE. This is for three year old fillies, and sends them nine furlongs on the turf course. It’s been run every year since 2005, and the purse is at its high point right now, up from $750.000 last year. That race was won by Superface Party, for Mb Stables, and she has continued to be competitive, though has not actually won another stake since then. However, she did nearly take home the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive last week out at SA, so her story is certainly not over. Mb Stables is looking to win this race for the third year in a row, and has entered one of the eight that we will see running. Let’s take a run through the field now!

1- The Lady Of Sod (Nakamura Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Looking for her third win of the year, and looks to build on her second place effort in the $250.000 Old Dominion Oaks from CNL while potentially getting some revenge on Mami along the way. While she has been productive this year, she’s been unimpressive a couple times as well. Hopefully that side of her will not show up.

2- Spanish Empire (Arindel, ridden by B Curtis)- Picked up by the trainer in the Smokey Stover dispersal sale, and has gone on to have an excellent three year old campaign. She’s won four times in seven starts on the year, with none being bigger than the Grade 2 SAR Oaks from August. Unfortunately, last time out the $2,000.000 was apparently too long for her, as she fizzled out in the late moments. Sees a few of them again, but will be better against them at this distance.

3- Charlenes Way (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by D Z Gaskin)- Didn’t do much in her first three starts, and would end up being sold after them for $20.000 to Maxmillion Farm. Things clocked right away with a win in an N1X allowance at PIM, which would propel her into the graded ranks. After a tough outing at SAR, she rebounded nicely by running third of five in the San Clemente Handicap, but it is her last start, where she was second in the Dueling Ground Oaks, where she opened a lot of eyes.

4- Sannys Legacy (Threshold, ridden by P Lopez)- Began her career hot, winning three of her first five, and four out of her first seven. That culminated with a victory in the Grade 2 Appalachian right here in April. While she then ran well in the Regret, too, she has been sluggish after that while taking on some tough company. Was fifth in last time out in the Old Dominion Oaks, but in each of her last three races, she has only beaten one of her opponents in each race. Not loving that last work in comparison to the others here, but there can be many reasons for that.

5- Fierce Competitor (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- This is the one that Mb Stables will be pinning his hopes on if he is to win this race for the third consecutive year. Fierce Competitor does come out of the Dueling Ground Oaks, where she tired out to finish in the middle of the field. As was the case with Charlenes Way, that may have simply been too long for her at this point in her career, and she should be expected to better at nine furlongs. After all, the last time she ran this distance, it was in the Grade 1 DMR Oaks in August, where she took home the victory.

6- Love (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by V Espinoza)- Love has had a nice three year old season, highlighted by winning six of nine races over the course of the year. Recently, she has been dominant up north of the border, and it doesn’t matter if she’s sprinting or going long, or doing it on the dirt or on the turf. Her biggest victory came against fellow Canadians in $500.000 WO Oaks, which is on the main track, but she also captured the $250.000 Wonder Where on the turf last month. That’s impressive versatility, but this is the toughest unrestricted race she has been in since the spring.

7- Mami (Alydar Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- When we last saw her, Mami was winning $250.000 Old Dominion against a few of these in what was her fourth win of the year, coming in eight starts. She also won the Grade 2 Wonder Again on an off track at SAR back in June. She’s highly consistent, as when you throw out her debut race, she has picked up at least some portion of the purse in every start. This is her first attempt at a Grade 1, and she should be up to task.

8- Ediana (Royalty Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Royalty Stables seems to be taking a big swing here with his filly, coming off a win in a $17.000 N1X allowance at LAD. The win was her second in seven starts, and she has hit the board five times. Instead of targeting a smaller stake, she’ll be tested quite a bit here against proven stakes horses. Anything can happen, but I am more comfortable with the achievements of the others.

Prediction: 6-7-5-3

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES