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Alwajeeha turns the tables in Queen Elizabeth II

Alwajeeha proved that she is a horse-for-the-course at Keeneland (Photo by Pat Lang/Keeneland Association) Shadwell Stable's homebred ALWAJEEHA (Dixieland Band) had been chasing the likes of Backseat Rhythm (El Corredor), My Princess Jess (Stormy Atlantic) and Ariege (Doneraile Court) on rain-affected ground, but back on firm turf in Saturday's $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1), the 11-1 shot got the better of her erstwhile conquerors with a driving 1 1/4-length score. Now two-for-two over the Keeneland turf, the Kiaran McLaughlin filly boosted her bankroll to $486,927 from a lifetime line of 9-3-3-0. With regular rider John Velazquez back in the saddle, Alwajeeha settled into second in the early going, watching the pacesetting Storm Mesa (Sky Mesa) carve out splits of :23 1/5, :47 and 1:11 3/5. Ariege, the 5-2 favorite, was forwardly placed along the rail, just ahead of the usually late-running Closeout (Repriced). On the far turn, Ariege crept closer, and Closeout advanced, but it was Alwajeeha who took charge entering the stretch and opened up a daylight advantage. The bay filly was never endangered thereafter and completed the nine-furlong event in 1:48.

"The filly did it great," said Velazquez, who only returned to riding Saturday after suffering a concussion in an opening day spill on October 3. "We wanted to be close to the lead. After that, every time I asked her for a little more, she kept giving it to me. I was very, very impressed with her."

My Princess Jess made progress from midpack to reach contention in the stretch, only to lose runner-up honors by a neck to the rapidly closing Backseat Rhythm. Another two lengths back came Closeout, followed by Ariege, Magical Fantasy (Diesis [GB]), Sefroua (Kingmambo), Rosa Grace (GB) (Lomitas [GB]), Storm Mesa, Lickety Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) and My Baby Baby (Bernstein).

The sixth choice in the 11-horse field, Alwajeeha returned $25.20, $11.20 and $8.40 while spearheading the $174 exacta, $1,191.40 trifecta and $11,902.80 superfecta (4-8-11-5). Backseat Rhythm gave back $5.40 and $4 as the nearly 4-1 second choice, and the 9-1 My Princess Jess yielded $6.

Alwajeeha has raced exclusively on turf. After breaking her maiden at Aqueduct last November, she made her stakes debut in the Tropical Park Oaks at Calder, where she recovered from trouble on the far turn to finish a solid second. Two starts later, she battled to a narrow decision in the Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland. Alwajeeha encountered varying degrees of rain-softened ground in her next three outings, with her best result a runner-up effort to My Princess Jess in the Lake George S. (G2) at the Spa. She was coming off a sixth in the Garden City S. (G1) at Belmont, beaten five lengths by the victorious Backseat Rhythm.

Out of the winning Seattle Slew mare Ridaa, Alwajeeha has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Tahfeez (Aljabr) and a weanling half-sister by Elusive Quality. Ridaa, a close relation of Grade 1 hero Scorpion (Seattle Slew), descends from the champion handicap mare of 1967, Straight Deal (Hail to Reason).

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