Lady Eli in 'A+' Work

The undefeated Lady Eli turned in an 'A+' work Aug. 13 over the turf course at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track, covering five furlongs in 1:01 as she remains on schedule for her return in the Aug. 27 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes (gr. IIT). She worked in company with Mrs McDougal.

Clockers caught the 4-year-old daughter of Divine Park—Sacre, Couer, by Saint Ballado, in opening splits of :24 2/5 and :37, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 and up in 1:27 under exercise rider Walter Malasquez.

"I'm very pleased with her progress," reported Chad Brown, who trains Lady Eli for Sheep Pond Partners. "She's right on target. She doesn't care for soft-ish ground but she still worked well. An 'A+' work."

Since her return to training in July, Lady Eli has stayed on a Sunday-Monday schedule, but Brown said he wanted to take advantage of the sunny weather on Saturday morning.

"I was very happy to work today," he said. "When a weather pattern moves through the area like this, when there's a chance (of rain) every day, when you have a clean strip you should take advantage of it."

Lady Eli was undefeated in six starts in 2014 and 2015, highlighted by victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park and the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) last July. She was sidelined while recovering from laminitis following the Oaks, and returned to serious training at Belmont Park. Lady Eli broke her maiden on the turf at Saratoga in August. 2014.

Lady Eli's work was her third at Saratoga in preparation for the 1 1/16-mile Ballston Spa.

Brown, who won last year's Ballston Spa with Dacita, said he also was pleased with the way William and Susan Warren Jr.’s Mrs McDougal worked, but did not know where she would start next. The 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro—Distorted Passion, by Distorted Humor   filly won the Lake George Stakes (gr. IIT) at the Spa last summer and most recently finished seventh in the Diana Stakes (gr. IT).