Sentiero Italia Tops Field of Nine for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 7, 2015) – Godolphin Racing’s Sentiero Italia, coming off Grade 2 victories as the favorite at Saratoga and Belmont, headlines a field of nine 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for the 32nd running of the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Lane’s End.



The QE II, run at 1 1/8 miles on the grass, will go as the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. ET post time. First post time Saturday is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Sentiero Italia finished fourth in her stakes debut in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) behind the undefeated Lady Eli. Following that effort, she posted victories in the Maker’s Mark Lake Placid at Saratoga and the Sands Point at Belmont.

Sentiero Italia will try to give McLaughlin his second victory in the race to go with the triumph by Alwajeeha in 2008. Joel Rosario, who rode Harmonious to victory in the 2010 running of this race, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position nine.

Two fillies who chased Sentiero Italia home in the Sands Point will be in the gate Saturday: runner-up Blond Me (IRE) and third-place finisher Miss Temple City.

Owned by Mrs. Barbara Keller, Blond Me made her U.S. debut in the Sands Point. Junior Alvarado retains the mount and will break from post position seven.

Sagamore Farm, Allen Rosenblum and The Club Racing’s Miss Temple City will try to give trainer Graham Motion his second victory in the race. His victory came in 2003 with Film Maker.

Miss Temple City, who also was second to Sentiero Italia in the Lake Placid, was second to Lady Eli in the Appalachian (G3) here this spring. Drayden Van Dyke has the mount Saturday and will break from post position three.

Invading from the West Coast are the 2-3 finishers in the Del Mar Oaks (G1), Her Emmynency and Prize Exhibit (GB).

Owned by Dawn and Ike Thrash and trained by Mike Stidham, Her Emmynency will be ridden Saturday by Florent Geroux and break from post position four. Geroux was aboard for an allowance victory in her 2015 debut at Arlington June.

Prize Exhibit, a two-time graded stakes winner who was fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Santa Anita, is owned by Deron Pearson’s DP Racing. Trained by Jim Cassidy, who won this race in 2004 with Ticker Tape (GB), Prize Exhibit will be ridden by Santiago Gonzalez and break from post position two.

The field for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End with riders, from the rail out, is: Mizz Money (Robby Albarado), Prize Exhibit (GB) (Gonzalez), Miss Temple City (Van Dyke), Her Emmynency (Geroux), Return to Grace (Joe Rocco Jr.), Olorda (GER) (Irad Ortiz Jr.), Blond Me (IRE) (Alvarado), Feathered (Javier Castellano) and Sentiero Italia (Rosario). All starters will carry 121 pounds.