Magic Attitude Pursues Second G1 in Queen Elizabeth II

For the first time since 2015, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Dixiana (G1T) at Keeneland Oct. 10 won't have a filly who made her previous start overseas.

Lael Stables' Magic Attitude is the next-closest thing. A group 3 winner who was group 1-placed this year in France, she came to America this summer and delivered a last-to-first rally in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) Sept. 19.

That performance, as well her accomplishments across the Atlantic Ocean, should make her the favorite against eight rivals in the QEII, a $500,000 1 1/8-mile turf test that is widely considered the most prestigious race in the U.S. for 3-year-old grass fillies. The race also drew graded stakes winners Harvey's Lil Goil, Sweet Melania, and Red Lark, the latter a 19-1 upset winner of the Del Mar Oaks (G1T).

Magic Attitude was brilliant in the Belmont Oaks against an underwhelming cast of four rivals, uncorking a final quarter-mile that Trakus timed in :22.77 to complete 1 1/4 miles on firm turf in 2:01.14. She won by 2 1/4 lengths over Antoinette, another QEII invitee.

"I was thinking they are going slow and they are all going to kick," said Magic Attitude's trainer, Arnaud Delacour. "It was a good effort from her, and I think she appreciated the firm ground."

Whether she gets that this weekend is in doubt. As of 2 p.m. ET Oct. 7, The National Weather Service forecast a 50% chance of showers Saturday in Lexington as the remnants of Hurricane Delta proceed north from the Gulf of Mexico.

The daughter of Galileo also has experience on wet turf. Five of her six races in France came on good to soft ground, and the other was on soft going, resulting in a sixth-place finish in her debut.

She returns fairly quickly, though she ran well following short turnarounds in Europe. 

"It probably will be her last race of the year, and the question is the three weeks' (rest)," Delacour said. "Will she bounce back well? So far, she has been showing all the right things, and she had a nice maintenance move the other day."

Hall of Famer and three-time QEII winner Javier Castellano will ride the filly, a full sister to Mission Impassible, a group 2 winner who ran second to Rushing Fall In the 2018 QEII. 

Three trainers with horses in the race have won the QEII—Bill Mott, Mark Casse, and Mike Stidham.

Stidham won the QEII in 2015 with Ike and Dawn Thrash's Her Emmynency, a victory that still leaves a lasting memory with the trainer.

"She had run well earlier on the year and we had had some setbacks, some minor setbacks with her physically, so when we were able to get her to that race and win it, it was huge," he said. "Any stake at Keeneland is an honor to win, but especially a grade 1. It's amazing to be a part of it."

This year, Stidham brings an up-and-comer into the race with Godolphin's Micheline, a three-time stakes winner who captured the Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Oaks over Harvey's Lil Goil at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10. Two lengths behind with a furlong to run, the Bernardini  filly caught Harvey's Lil Goil near the finish to win by a neck over 1 5/16 miles.

"We felt like the added distance was definitely going to help her, and it seemed to definitely help in that last race," Stidham said. "Now we're actually cutting back in distance to a mile and an eighth, but we feel like she's earned the opportunity in a grade 1. Obviously, it's one of the last chances to run against straight 3-year-olds, and so when they gave us the invitation, we felt like, let's take a shot and see if we can win a grade 1 with her."

That is something her dam, the Include  mare Panty Raid, accomplished twice, with one coming in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) on the Keeneland Polytrack in 2007. 

Florent Geroux, who rode Her Emmynency to her 2015 QEII victory, will be aboard.

The QEII is the ninth of 10 races Saturday at Keeneland with post time set for 5:30 p.m. The card also includes the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2), the eighth race.

Entries: Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Presented by Dixiana (G1T)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 10, 2020, Race 9

• Grade IT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Harvey's Lil Goil (KY)	Martin Garcia	121	William I. Mott	3/1
2	2Sweet Melania (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Todd A. Pletcher	7/2
3	3Antoinette (KY)	James Graham	121	William I. Mott	8/1
4	4Magic Attitude (GB)	Javier Castellano	121	Arnaud Delacour	5/2
5	5Lucky Betty (KY)	Declan Cannon	121	William B. VanMeter	30/1
6	6Hendy Woods (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Mark E. Casse	10/1
7	7Micheline (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Michael Stidham	6/1
8	8California Kook (CA)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Peter Miller	12/1
9	9Red Lark (IRE)	Drayden Van Dyke	121	Patrick Gallagher	10/1