Lady Eli Set for 2015 Debut in Appalachian

There may be more debate in how to pronounce the name of the $125,000 Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (gr. IIIT) April 12 at Keeneland than argument about the most likely winner.

While there is the "Appa-LAE-sha" crowd and the "Appa-Latch-a" crowd, all figure to agree that undefeated Lady Eli will be the filly to beat when the daughter of Divine Park   makes her 2015 debut in Sunday's mile race for 3-year-old fillies. 

Sheep Pond Partners' Lady Eli won all three of her juvenile starts last year, capping that run with a clear victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park. In preparation for Sunday, Lady Eli has turned in some impressive works, including bullet moves March 17 and March 24 at Palm Meadows and April 6 on the Keeneland turf.

While only six other 3-year-old fillies have entered Sunday's race, those entries include last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Sunset Glow, who also will be making her first start since that effort. Ten Broeck Farm's Sunset Glow won last year's Del Mar Debutante Stakes (gr. I) and Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) on the Del Mar Polytrack.

The field also includes Mizz Money, a recent stakes winner on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots turf, and Miss Temple City, who finished third in the Sweetest Chant Stakes (gr. IIIT) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park.