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Lady Eli sets off fireworks in Belmont Oaks

Trainer Chad Brown: Lady Eli has the "most devastating turn of foot I've ever worked around" (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Going into Saturday's $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), the only question about unbeaten Lady Eli (Divine Park) was whether she'd be as lethal over 1 1/4 miles. About 1:59 1/5 later, the only question left was who can beat her from here. The 4-5 favorite provided her own July 4 fireworks in the brightness of the afternoon, prompting trainer Chad Brown to tell NBCSports that she's the best turf horse he's ever trained. Lady Eli, whose prior Grade 1 tally came in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, also locked up a spot in another Breeders' Cup event, this time the Filly & Mare Turf (G1), as part of the "Win & You're In" program. "As we stretch out our turf horses, you wonder if they're going to lose their turn of foot," Brown said. "The term 'breathes different air' gets thrown around a lot when someone has a very good horse, and I've been lucky to have some great turf fillies and mares, but this one 'breathes different air' for sure. "Not only the ones I've had in my career, but the best horses I have been around, she's way up there, probably at the top of the list," the protege of the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel added. "She certainly has the most devastating turn of foot I've ever worked around."

Under confident handling by regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Lady Eli was reserved well off the fast early tempo. Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer) sprinted to the fore through an opening quarter in :22 4/5, then rationed out her speed through splits of :47 1/5 and 1:11 3/5 on the firm inner turf. Pine Needles (Giant's Causeway) tracked before taking command on the far turn through a mile in 1:36.

But by that point, most eyes were probably on the blur of the aqua silks of Sheep Pond Partners -- Lady Eli was circling the field. Pine Needles' time in the lead was elapsing with every stride, as Lady Eli was cantering all over them. With Ortiz virtually motionless in the saddle, the superstar simply bolted up by 2 3/4 lengths.

Lady Eli's final time of 1:59 1/5 was considerably faster than Force the Pass (Speightstown) clocked (2:01) in the Belmont Derby (G1) two races earlier. The boys, however, turned in a much slower early pace.

Brown's main concern was whether Lady Eli would get trapped on the inside from post 2, but Ortiz took care of that at the beginning.

"I was feeling a lot better once we got off the first turn and I saw Irad got outside, which is what I wanted to do," Brown said. "I didn't know how he was going to do it with the 2 post, but I figured if the pace was quick enough -- which it was -- there'd be some separation and he could do it. That was our game plan and that was what happened. Once she got outside -- there's never any certainties -- I knew it wouldn't be the trip that got her beat."

"I had a perfect trip, no complaints," Ortiz said. "We talked about the race in the morning, don't get in too much trouble in the race. We expected to have the best horse in the race so that's why we saved ground the first half of the race, but after that, I know nobody noticed us so I just took her out and looked behind and before the half-mile I knew I had a lot of horse. Nobody put pressure on me and she took off."

The real scramble was for the minors, and 35-1 shot Itsonlyactingdad (Giant's Causeway) prevailed over Aidan O'Brien's Outstanding (Galileo) by for best of the rest honors. Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro) was another nose away in fourth, nipping Lady Eli's stablemates Strict Compliance (Into Mischief) and Consumer Credit (More Than Ready). Pine Needles retreated to ninth, Spanish Queen (Tribal Rule) was 10th, German import Olorda (Lord of England) tired to 11th and Lady Zuzu faded to 12th in the 14-horse field.

Lady Eli clocked a swift 1:59 1/5 compared to the 2:01 turned in by Belmont Derby (G1) winner Force the Pass, who tracked a slower early pace (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) A perfect six-for-six, Lady Eli has bankrolled $1,449,800. The dark bay was nearly beaten by a troubled trip on debut at Saratoga, but she extricated herself and forced her nose in front on the wire. Since then, Lady Eli has mostly enjoyed cakewalks. She took the Miss Grillo (G3) by three lengths, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies by 2 3/4 lengths, and the April 12 Appalachian (G3) in her reappearance by 2 1/2 lengths. Her prep for this race, the May 31 Wonder Again, proved tactically trickier as she was bottled up in traffic, yet still eased home by a half-length. Lady Eli could now set her sights on the older turf distaffers. "We'll have to take a look at (the schedule)," Brown said. "We have the Lake Placid ([G2] on August 14) at Saratoga if we wanted to keep her against straight three-year-old fillies. We also have the Beverly D. ([G1] on August 15 at Arlington) if we want to look at bigger goals and run her against older fillies and mares. "We could also wait until the Breeders' Cup (to run her against older) because we have the Queen Elizabeth (II Challenge Cup [G1] October 10) right at Keeneland, where the Breeders' Cup is being held. "Her next major is the Queen Elizabeth. How we get there, we'll have to talk about it."

Kentucky-bred Lady Eli has sold twice at Keeneland, bringing $160,000 as a September yearling and as an April two-year-old in training.

Lady Eli is a total product of the historic Runnymede Farm Inc. and Catesby Clay, for her sire Divine Park and her dam, the winning Sacre Coeur (Saint Ballado), were likewise Runnymede-breds. Lady Eli is a half-sister to Bizzy Caroline (Afleet Alex), a multiple Grade 3 heroine for Clay.

Lady Eli's second dam is famed Runnymede matriarch Kazadancoa (Green Dancer), who produced Grade 2 victress Changing Ways (Time for a Change) (herself the dam of three stakes performers including Grade 2 winner Pays to Dream [High Yield]) as well as Grade 3 scorers Jacodra (Highland Park) and Jacodra's Devil (Devil's Bag).

Kazadancoa is the ancestress of millionaire Tejano Run (Tejano), runner-up in the 1995 Kentucky Derby (G1), Group 1 hero Palace Episode (Machiavellian), Grade/Group 2 winners More Royal (Mt. Livermore) and Laughing Lashes (Mr. Greeley) and Canadian champion Spring in the Air (Spring at Last).

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