A well-matched field of eight has been entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Queen
Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1) at Keeneland, and all but two of the
three-year-old fillies have already added a graded or group win to their records. Heading
the field are SINGHALESE (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) and LUAS LINE (Ire) (Danehill),
who will each be going for a second Grade 1 score.
The former ran a nice third in the American Invitational Oaks (G1) at
Hollywood during the summer, before adding an optional claimer to her record in
early August. The James Cassidy charge broke through with a first U.S. stakes
win by taking the Del Mar Oaks (G1), then just missed by a half-length in
the Pucker Up S. (G3) last out. Singhalese will have Mike Smith in the irons.
Luas Line is seeking her fourth straight stakes win here, scoring in two
Irish listed events before shipping to the United States to capture the Garden
City Breeders’ Cup S. (G1) last out. She ran fourth in the American Oaks prior
to those and was third in the Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) earlier this
year.
Also entered on Saturday are Honeymoon Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) victress THREE
DEGREES (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]), who ran second to Singhalese in the Del Mar
Oaks, and Lake Placid S. (G2) winner NAISSANCE ROYALE (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway).
Singhalese will lead the post parade to the gate, followed by Luas Line, John
Velazquez; ISLA COZZENE (Cozzene), Brice Blanc; KAREN’S CAPER (War Chant), Robby
Albarado; GORELLA (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]), Gary Stevens; Three Degrees, Alex
Solis; Naissance Royale, Edgar Prado; and SWEET TALKER (Stormin Fever), Rafael
Bejarano.
Each starter will carry 121 pounds in the nine-furlong turf test.