Trainer Phil Sims reports that HOT CHA CHA (Cactus Ridge), who rolled to a 4
1/2-length upset in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup
(G1) at Keeneland, may point toward the November 14 Mrs. Revere (G2) at
Churchill Downs.
“There are a couple more spots this year that we might look at and after that
she’ll get a break,” Sims said. “The Mrs. Revere is a possibility.”
Hot Cha Cha handed Sims, and jockey James Graham, their first Grade 1 victory
in the Queen Elizabeth II. Sims observed how effortlessly Hot Cha Cha was
traveling as the race unfolded.
“Down the backside, she was running easy,” Sims said. “She was laying closer
than usual because of the slow pace and some of the riders were staying off the
rail. When the hole opened up, she shot right through there. When she shifts
gears, she’s gone. She’s got a good turn of foot and the way she won yesterday,
it probably didn’t matter where she was.”
“She is small and dainty, but she’s got a lot of heart,” Graham said. “She
has a nice action and she worked so well the other day.”
Hot Cha Cha had worked five furlongs around the “dogs” on the turf course in
1:04 on Monday, finishing her final quarter in :23.
QE II runner-up SHARED ACCOUNT (Pleasantly Perfect) came out of the race with a nick
“on her front
left ankle, behind, but other than that she’s come out of the race pretty good,”
said Alice Clapham, assistant to trainer Graham Motion. “It’s just one of those
things that happens.”
The filly, who won the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga in late
August, was coming off a second to QE II fourth-place finisher MISS WORLD
(Bernstein) in the Garden City
(G1). In the QE II, Shared Account had the lead before being overtaken by Hot
Cha Cha in the stretch.
“She ran good,” Clapham said about Shared Account. “She ran her race. She’s a
genuine filly; she never stopped trying. She’s always better if she has
something to run at. In the last two races, she’s had to make the pace, but
she’s such a versatile filly that you can do whatever you want with her.”
Clapham thought the QE II might be the final race of the year for Shared
Account.
Dan Blacker, assistant to trainer Tom Albertrani, said that GOZZIP GIRL (Dynaformer), who ran third as the
3-5 favorite in the QE II, was fine Sunday morning
and scheduled to return to New York on Monday.
Miss World came out of the race well, according to Ben Colebrook, assistant to
trainer Christophe Clement.
“She’ll go back to New York, and he’ll evaluate her,” Colebrook said. “She
might go to California, but not for the Breeders’ Cup.”