QE II Challenge Cup (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
KEE- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
October 10, 2020

At KEE on Saturday, we will have the 16th running of the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup. This is a great opportunity for three year old turf females who do not want to run against older horses at this time. The $500.000 purse is plenty of incentive, and the gate is nearly full. Last year, Mo Mentum Farm got the win with Lorraine, and that Shark Force filly would race into the summer before being retired and sent to the shed. She has had a foal with each of Twin Towers and State Police, so she is certainly getting a top chance in that role. Let’s take a look at our field for this year’s race.

#1- Joan Of Arc (Calia Stable, ridden by L Saez)- Broke her maiden at PRX this year, and ever since then she has been running in the graded ranks. So far, she has not won again, but did look good when she ran second in the Grade 3 Regret. Otherwise, this filly has been decent though has not made that much of an impact in the races she has been in.

#2- Sherry (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by R A Vazquez)- This filly has finished second in six of her ten starts thus far, against only one win. This is her stake debut, and the trainer is not going to worry about the lack of wins in allowances and decides the second place runs are good enough to elevate her all of the way up into Grade 1 competition. The good news is that she never really runs badly.

#3- Alexandrite (Threshold, ridden by B J Hernandez Jr)- It will be just the fifth start for this filly, that was claimed off of Smokey Stover for $40.000 on the fourth of July. She hasn’t won while in the silks of Threshold, but the new trainer is certainly confident in her ability by thrusting her right into ungraded stakes off a maiden claiming win, and now into a Grade 1 with still just the one win. She has been competitive, and should be again, but I can’t make her one of my picks.

#4- Anna D (Smokey Stover, ridden by M Franco)- This will be her debut in Smokey Stover colors, as she was picked up in private sales from Night Rider Stables a couple weeks ago for $500.000. That’s a commitment, and she has shown her potential with three wins in seven starts. She will have to put her last race behind her, but the trainer is obviously not concerned about it.

#5- My Girl Makita (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by L Contreras)- Her last race was a win in the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes last month, and that has been a commonly mentioned race if you have been reading this preview as well as the one for the Flower Bowl. That makes the victory get even more street cred in my eyes. She was on good form going into the Canadian, having run second in the BEL Oaks and the Beverly D. She will be hard to beat here.

#6- Chances Taken (Mb Stables, ridden by J Bisono)- Picked up a couple of wins earlier this year against good company, first coming in the Grade 3 Regret and then winning the Grade 1 BEL Oaks. We have still been waiting for her to follow up the BEL Oaks with another strong effort, but that has not happened yet. She has had a hard time staying away from off tracks, but the BEL Oaks was on one, too.

#7- Corn G (Chili King Stables, ridden by U Rispoli)- This will be her third start for Chili King after he picked her up from you know who, given the name. That was in a $50.000 private sale in August. At this point, she is still rather unaccomplished and it will be her graded debut here. Just recently began running long, as well.

#8- Dawning Ice Age (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by R Mejias)- The Dawning filly was picked up private sales last year for $60.000, and has won three of eight while running for Maxmillion Farm. He was the one who began sending her long and her biggest win came in February at the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes. Closed well in the DMR Oaks, her last start, to be fifth, and may be poised to run a big one here.

#9- Mrs Nussbaums Credit (Arindel, ridden by R J Rosado)- The great work that the trainer has done with this one continued in her last start. Her career path has been mentioned a few times in the SRF now, but it is still interesting to see how she burst onto the graded scene. Now, she comes off a win as well, taking the Grade 2 Mabee Stakes last month. This is not a horse to overlook.

#10- Raw Sugar (Mb Stables, ridden by T J Pereira)- A winner of five out of nine in her career, but has not hit the board in any of those other four races. While she did win an ungraded stake in March, it seems as though she is struggling to step up to this level in the chances that Mb Stables has given her thus far. She was a well beaten fifth in her last start, the $625.000 SAR Oaks. She’s very good when running exactly a mile, which this isn’t.

#11- Sheza Kat (John Henry, ridden by G Melancon)- After a solid start to her career, she has been playing musical stables, being acquired by Running Farms in June for $99.010, who six weeks later sent her to John Henry for $100.000. At least she raced twice for Running Farms in the interim. While with John Henry, she has made one start, and was a strong second in the DMR Oaks. Has the new trainer figured something additional out? We’ll get a clearer answer here.

Prediction: 5-9-6-11

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES