Saturday's QE 2 Invitational at Keeneland

The 31^st running of the Grade 1 QE 2 Invitational at Keeneland is run this Saturday for 3 year old fillies and is contested at  a mile and 1/8  on the turf. It carries a purse of $500,000, and it is an important prep for the Filly & Mare Breeders Cup Turf.

The weather forecast is calling for a chance of rain on Friday and clearing skies on Saturday. A firm course is expected.

Here is the field of nine fillies, from the rail out.

1. Mizz Money – A 30-1 longshot Grade 3 winner has been a very useful filly with 4 wins and 2 seconds out of 8 tries on turf. But she is in tough here.
2. Prize Exhibit – Multiple Stakes winner on the west coast, she finished 4^th to Lady Eli in last year’s Juvenile Fillies Turf. She has improved this season with the addition of blinkers. She has been working well at Santa Anita.
3. Miss Temple City – A very consistent filly, with the right connections, she is 7 of 8 starts ITM on turf. A second place finish to the highly regarded Lady Eli last year on this course, she will run with Lasix for the first time. Could make the difference…
4. Her Emmynency – Very game second in the Del Mar Oaks 56 days ago. The freshening may eliminate any “bounce”
5. Return To Grace –Well bred miss out of filly Champion, Golden Attraction she is 15-1on the morning line, but the Casse barn has been very live at this meet. Not out of it.
6. Olorda –Connections do exceptionally well with these Euros, but this one needs a forward step. Blinkers OFF, Lasix ON, a work over the track and first time for Chad. Can’t ignore.
7. Blond Me – Another Euro who ran well in her initial US start in the Sands Point. Hard to gauge what type of fillies she beat in Europe, however.
8. Feathered - Out of the Phipps mare Receipt and the family of millionaire Dancing Spree, this speedy filly changed her running style last out with a very nice effort after being covered. Yes, it was just an allowance race, but it is Pletcher/Castellano….
9. Sentiero Italia – “Path Italy” is the 6/5 favorite and deservingly so as she is coming off bake-to-back Graded Stakes wins. Another barn that is on a hot streak.

Of course you always need to consider if the Euros will like the Keeneland course. It’s anybody’s guess.

Here’s my dime super box ~

Sentiero Italia is in a groove and another effort like her last two will make her tough to beat.

That they took Miss Temple City to Ascot this summer shows what kind of talent her connections thinks she has.  Maybe Lasix is just what she needs to bring her game to another level.

Return To Grace has really done nothing wrong, and she has a right to be given a chance in this Grade 1.

And I like Feathered‘s last race, maybe she is finally putting it all together.

As always, #FastAndSafe to all our equine friends!