Regal Glory Tops Potent Brown Trio in First Lady

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Regal Glory Tops Potent Brown Trio in First Lady
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Photo: Mathea Kelley
Regal Glory flies home to win the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland

Peter Brant caused quite a stir overseas in the Tattersalls auction ring, dropping $13,023,143 in association with Coolmore's M.V. Magnier for 15 yearlings during the first book of the October Yearling Sale. The owner figures to be on-hand for Keeneland opening weekend when his brilliant three-time grade 1-winning mare Regal Glory  and recent Diana Stakes (G1T) heroine In Italian  line up for the $750,000 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T), both trained by Chad Brown.

Regal Glory, a 6-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom  who has only blossomed with age, will face other fillies and mares in the Oct. 8 First Lady after facing males in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) Aug. 13 at Saratoga Race Course, where she finished second—1 1/2 lengths behind Casa Creed . It would be no surprise, however, to see Regal Glory, a mile specialist, again tackle males in the upcoming FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) should she perform well Saturday. Uni , also trained by Brown, parlayed a victory in the 2019 First Lady into Breeders' Cup Mile glory.

Another notable mare completing the First Lady-Breeders' Cup Mile double was recent Hall of Fame inductee Tepin , who accomplished the feat in 2015 for owner Robert Masterson and trainer Mark Casse.

Victorious in six of nine starts since joining Brant's stable after a $925,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, Regal Glory could find herself further back than normal in the First Lady because of the presence of her front-running stablemates, In Italian and Klavarich Stables' Technical Analysis . Susan and Johh Moore's Princess Grace , fresh off back-to-back runner-up finishes after stretch battles with Dalika  in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3T) and Beverly D. Stakes (G1T), could also strike at the front.    

Jose Ortiz, aboard Regal Glory for her past 10 trips to the post, flies into Lexington to pilot the white-faced chestnut in the First Lady. In the pair's last journey around the Keeneland oval, Regal Glory kicked clear to be a convincing winner of the April 16 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T).

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In Italian (#6) with jockey Joel Rosario aboard wins the 84th running of The Diana at Saratoga Race Course Saturday July 16, 2022 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo: Skip Dickstein
In Italian captures the Diana Stakes at Saratoga Race Course

In Italian, third behind Regal Glory in their only previous meeting, the June 11 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T), cuts back to a mile after carrying her speed to a course record score in the 1 1/8-mile Diana. The shorter stretch run to the wire could play out favorably for the pacesetting filly as she will attempt to hold Regal Glory's closing kick at bay in search of her second grade 1 win. Brant shelled out $609,434 for the daughter of Dubawi  during Book 1 of the 2019 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

Technical Analysis also shortens up in trip. The 4-year-old Kingman  filly rebounded from a second-place finish to In Italian in the Diana to take the Aug. 27 Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga in front-running fashion.

Michael Stidham-trained Princess Grace has made one start at Keeneland in her 13-race career, which resulted in a narrow defeat in the 2020 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T).

"She looked like she was home free and got nailed right at the wire," Stidham said. "After the race, I was like 'Oh wow; she's pretty nice.'"

The nearly black filly has earned more than $1.3 million. Unlike Regal Glory, Stidham has indicated that a tangle with males would not be in the wings for Princess Grace even if she were to perform well in the First Lady.

Princess Grace #3 captures her second straight $200,000 Grade III Dr. James Penny Memorial, surpassing $1 million in career earnings on July 12, 2022 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, PA. Ridden by Florent Geroux, the five-year-old daughter of Karakontie is a homebred for John and Susan Moore's M and M Stable and is trained by Michael Stidham. Photo by Barbara Weidl/EQUI-PHOTO.
Photo: Barbara Weidl/EQUI-PHOTO
Princess Grace takes her second straight Dr. James Penny Memorial at Parx Racing

"Probably not the Breeders' Cup," Stidham said. "There is no race for fillies and mares at her distance, and we would have to run against the boys (in the Mile) and we don't want to do that."

Phipps Stable's Vigilantes Way , a grade 3 winner, and recent Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes third-place finisher Market Rumor , complete the six-horse field.


Entries: First Lady S. Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 08, 2022, Race 8

  • Grade IT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $750,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:42 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Vigilantes Way (KY) Paco Lopez 124 Claude R. McGaughey III 12/1
2 2Princess Grace (KY) Florent Geroux 124 Michael Stidham 6/1
3 3Technical Analysis (IRE) Flavien Prat 124 Chad C. Brown 5/2
4 4In Italian (GB) Joel Rosario 124 Chad C. Brown 3/1
5 5Regal Glory (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 124 Chad C. Brown 6/5
6 6Market Rumor (KY) Chris Landeros 124 Ian R. Wilkes 20/1