Say to make U.S. debut in First Lady

Making her rounds in the walking ring outside of Keeneland's quarantine barn

Tuesday morning, Say took in her new surroundings before she made her way across

Rice Road to the main track for her morning activity under T.J. Comerford, head

traveling lad for trainer Aidan O'Brien.

"She's very fresh this morning," Comerford said about Say, a three-year-old

daughter of Galileo who cleared quarantine Monday night after arriving at

Keeneland Saturday night. "She is not used to all this. We have 650 acres out in

the country; no airplanes taking off close by, no cars going by (just yards from

the barn)."

Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, Say backtracked

once around the main track and then trotted a mile prior to the morning

renovation break.

"She was very good this morning," Comerford said. "Usually when Aidan ships

over here, they arrive on Tuesday, get out of quarantine Thursday, go to the

track Friday and run Saturday. With fillies, they can be a little more

temperamental and need a little more time to settle in."

A daughter of 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup winner Riskaverse, Say is

following a path set by stablemate Together. Together ran second in the 2011

First Lady and came back a week later to win the QE II. It is anticipated Say

will receive an invitation this week to the QE II, scheduled for October 12.

"We have done this before," Comerford said, noting that a quick turnaround

would be nothing new for Say, who ran four times in 24 days this summer. "We do

not need to do too much with her here."

Say enters the one-mile First Lady off a close third-place finish in the

Group 1 Matron Stakes on September 7 at Leopardstown, Ireland, going a mile

against older fillies and mares. Prior to that, she won the Group 3 Dance

Design, also against older rivals.

"She closed a lot of ground the last time out," Comerford said. "Before we

came over, we broke her out of the gate. We have an American-style gate that we

use when getting horses ready to come over for Breeders' Cup races, but in our

regular training we do not concentrate as much on the gate as they do here."

Comerford said Joe Bravo would have the mount on Say in the First Lady.

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