Cartier champion 2-year-old filly Lady Aurelia kicked off her sophore season in style with an impressive victory in Keeneland's Giant's Causeway S. Shedding blinkers for this Stateside return, the even-money favorite kept a watchful eye on the leaders from fifth through a sharp first quarter in :21.79 and ranged up seven wide turning for home. Unleashing a powerful turn of foot in the stretch, the “TDN Rising Star” swiftly inhaled her older rivals and charged clear to a 2 1/2-length victory in 1:02.40. “She did everything great,” winning trainer Wesley Ward said. “That is what we wanted to do: get her back, get her to settle and make a run. She's a wonderful filly. She has a big future. [I'm] excited to get back over to England to [Royal] Ascot. She'll train right here at Keeneland until we go.” The conditioner added, “[Our] ultimate goal is the [GI] Breeders' Cup [Turf Sprint]. That will be five-eighths on the turf [at] Del Mar. Should suit her perfect.” A dazzling 7 1/2-length debut winner over this course last April, Lady Aurelia was even more impressive when winning Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. by a similar margin in June. Remaining in Europe, the bay bested males in Deauville's G1 Darley Prix Morny in August and checked in third in Newmarket's G1 Cheveley Park S. Sept. 24 before calling it quits for the season. Stonestreet Stables purchased Lady Aurelia's dam D' Wildcat Speed, Horse of the Year in Puerto Rico and a Grade II winner inthe U.S., for $1-million at the 2005 Keeneland November sale. Her best runner prior to Lady Aurelia is the now 7-year-old Titletown Five (Tiznow), who ran second in Oaklawn's Gazebo S. and earned $105,078. The 17-year-old mare has not produced anything since Lady Aurelia, but was most recently bred to Munnings. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY S., $100,000, KEE, 4-15, 3yo/up, f/m,
5 1/2fT, 1:02.40, fm.
1–LADY AURELIA, 117, f, 3, Scat Daddy–D' Wildcat Speed
(Horse of the Year, Ch. 3yo Filly Imported & MSW-PR & GSW-
US, $530,755), by Forest Wildcat. ($350,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP).
“TDN Rising Star” O-Stonestreet Stables LLC, George Bolton &
Peter Leidel; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Wesley A. Ward; J-John R. Velazquez. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: Hwt. Filly at 2 on English & French Free Hand, GSW &
G1SP-Eng & G1SW-Fr, 5-4-0-1, $429,668.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-bredraised”]2–Nobody's Fault, 120, f, 4, Blame">Blame–Appealing Storm, by Valid
Appeal. ($120,000 RNA Ylg '14 KEESEP). O/B-Lothenbach
Stables Inc (KY); T-Neil L. Pessin. $20,000.
3–Ruby Notion, 120, f, 4, Great Notion–Modena Bay (Nz), by
Volksraad (GB). O/B-Silverton Hill Farm, LLC (WV); T-Wesley A.
Ward. $10,000.[bullet ad=”timber-town-consigned”]Margins: 2HF, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.00, 51.20, 11.30.
Also Ran: Triple Chelsea, Miss Katie Mae (Ire), Rapid Rhythm, Exaggerated, Pretty Perfection, Lots o' Lex, Bibby, Lajatico (GB). Scratched: Super Saks, Marquee Cal Gal, Come to Mischief.
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