By Alan Carasso
It seems nearly inconceivable that there is a stakes race for 3-year-old fillies that has not been won by trainer Chad Brown, but such is the case with Friday's $500,000 GIII Edgewood S. at Churchill Downs. It will be equally surprising if that statistical anomaly is not corrected, as the conditioner is represented by the top three choices on the morning line, though Mother Nature might have something to say about it, with daylong rains predicted.
Klaravich Stables' McKulick (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was a poignant debut winner at Saratoga last Aug. 3, whooshing home to best commonly owned stablemate and future multiple stakes winner Consumer Spending (More Than Ready) by 1 1/2 lengths. Forced out at the break of Belmont's Oct. 2 Miss Grillo S. when favored at 2-5, the 180,000gns Tattersalls October purchase kicked home strongly, but could do no better than third, beaten a length, while covering 30 feet more than the victorious Sail By (Astern {Aus}) and 11 more than stable companion Kinchen (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).
Spicer (Quality Road) drew away to break her maiden by nearly four lengths at second asking at Aqueduct Nov. 19 and made her seasonal debut in the GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Mar. 12, where she attended a moderate pace and led into the final eighth of a mile, only to be run down by less-fancied stablemate Dolce Zel (Fr) (Zelzal {Fr}). The latter has since returned to finish runner-up to the Royal Ascot-bound Spendarella (Karakontie {Jpn}) in Keeneland's GII Appalachian S. Apr. 9.
New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' off an eye-catching maiden win at the Fair Grounds Dec. 10 and charged late to narrowly annex a Jan. 29 allowance. Settled far back in a paceless renewal of the Lacombe Memorial S. Mar. 12, the chestnut was switched out wide and kicked hard, but was only third behind the re-opposing Kneesnhips (Connect). Blinkers go on New Year's Eve for the first time.
Dream Lith (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the GII Golden Rod S. last November, tries the grass for the first time. She has the license to do so on pedigree, as she is bred similarly to Japanese Group 3 winner Mi Suerte (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), a daughter of Dream Lith's second dam Mi Sueno (Street Cry {Ire}).
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