Groupie Doll happy to be back at Churchill

Groupie Doll, the champion female sprinter of 2012, returned to Churchill

Downs on Monday after spending about three months at Indian Ridge Farm near

Frankfort, Kentucky.

Trainer Buff Bradley, who owns

Groupie Doll in partnership with his father Fred as well as Carl Hurst and Brent

Burns, sent the five-year-old mare home in early February after she was not

training to his satisfaction at Gulfstream Park.

That has not been the case this time

around.

"Is it a 180-degree turnaround from

Florida? Absolutely," Buff Bradley said. "She has really good energy and she

wants to do it. I knew we were good and did not anticipate any problems bringing

her back."

One of the reasons Bradley was

confident about his star's return was the time spent at the farm sharing a

pasture with the 12-year-old gelding Brass Hat.

"'Brass' was training her," Bradley

said of the previous stable star who earned more than $2.1 million in his

career. "They would run for 10 minutes and Brass was so smart, he would cut the

corner on her and when they were done, she was really blowing."

Bradley plans to jog Groupie Doll all

this month and not begin galloping until June with plenty of time to map out a

campaign for 2013.

In Groupie Doll's absence, Aubby K took over her title in last Saturday's

Humana Distaff. James Spence's homebred did not stick around

Churchill Downs too long after her 1 1/2-length victory, her first in a Grade 1.

"She flew out the next day to Saratoga," trainer Ralph Nicks said

of Aubby K.

"She came out of the race fine. I have had the pleasure to be around some good

horses and it feels good to have one of my own."

Although Nicks has his eye on the

Princess Rooney at Calder going six furlongs on July 6, the seven-furlong

Ballerina at the Spa August 23 is the primary goal.

"Our main summer objective is the Ballerina at Saratoga. She runs well

fresh," the trainer added.

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