Sheer Drama faces eight in Fleur de Lis
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With recent La Troienne (G1) winner and Churchill Downs fanatic Molly Morgan retired due to injury, nine fillies and mares will have a better shot at claiming the top prize in Saturday night's $200,000 Fleur de Lis H. (G2) over 1 1/8 miles. The favorite's role figures to fall again upon Sheer Drama (Burning Roma), who was the 2-1 choice in the May 1 La Troienne over 1 1/16 miles, but missed catching Molly Morgan by three-quarters of a length. Harold Queen's homebred mare, trained by David Fawkes, has been second in three of her four outings this year, but earned won strong backing last time after dominating the Royal Delta (G2) at Gulfstream by 6 1/2 lengths, where she defeated multiple graded stakes winner House Rules (Distorted Humor) and Molly Morgan. |
Finishing only a head behind Sheer Drama last out was Gold Medal Dancer
(Medaglia d'Oro), who previously upset champion Untapable (Tapit) in the March
14 Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn. She was subsequently third to that rival in the Apple
Blossom H. (G1) over the same track.
Also exiting the La Troienne is fourth-place finisher Tiz Windy (Tiznow),
unplaced four times since taking the Indiana Oaks (G2) in October; stakes winner
America (A.P. Indy), who finished seventh; and last year's Falls City H. (G2)
heroine Frivolous (Empire Maker), who trailed the La Troienne field in her
second outing of the season.
My Sweet Addiction (Tiznow) invades from California, where she pulled off a
minor upset in the May 9 Vanity (G1) at Santa Anita, leading wire to wire in her
two-turn stakes debut. The lightly-raced five-year-old, based at Los Alamitos,
defeated just three rivals in that nine-furlong event.
Sixty Sails H. (G3) winner Yahilwa (Medaglia d'Oro) just held on for second
in the Allaire du Pont Distaff (G3) at Pimlico May 15, finishing four lengths
behind odds-on favorite Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat). She worked a bullet
three furlongs over the Churchill strip on Tuesday, breezing in :34 3/5.
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The field is completed by Pearl Turn (Bernardini), fourth in the Apple Blossom last time, and the multiple stakes-placed Glorys Last Chance (Stephen Got Even). Fame and Power (First Defence), wire-to-wire winner of the $100,000 Sir Barton on the Preakness (G1) undercard, will be favored to take his first unrestricted stakes when he heads a field of eight three-year-olds in the $100,000 Matt Winn (G3) over 1 1/16 miles. Third in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland prior to his Pimlico score, the Bob Baffert charge will renew acquaitance with Grade 1-placed Bold Conquest (Curlin), who was three lengths second in the May 16 Sir Barton.
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Also expected to garner support are Illinois Derby (G3) third Phenomenal
Phoenix (Summer Bird) and recent Churchill allowance scorer Island Town (Hard
Spun).
The stakes action kicks off Saturday night with the $100,000
Regret (G3), for
three-year-old fillies over 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer), third in the Edgewood (G3) and $100,000 Hilltop in
her last two, figures to be among the betting choices, while Prado's Sweet Ride
(Fort Prado) will attempt to rebound off a disappointing sixth as the favorite
in the $75,000 Indy Star at Indiana Grand in her stakes debut.
Canadian invader Don't Leave Me (Lemon Drop Kid), who won her turf debut last
summer, has found success on Polytrack recently, taking the Bourbonette Oaks
(G3) at Turfway and finishing a head second in the Selene (Can-G3) at Woodbine.
Last year's Pocahontas (G2) winner Cristina's Journey (Any Given Saturday)
will attempt to revive her fortunes on grass after finishing up the track in her
last three dirt appearances. Recent maiden winners Return to Grace (English
Channel) and American Mon Amie (All American) might also be in the hunt for a
check with mild progression.
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