Miss Temple City to Miss Keeneland Meet

Multiple grade 1 winner Miss Temple City will not make her seasonal bow during the upcoming Keeneland spring meet after suffering a minor setback in training, trainer Graham Motion confirmed April 5.

The 5-year-old daughter of Temple City   got loose in the expansive stable area at Palm Meadows Training Center a few weeks ago, a jaunt that resulted in some filling in a leg. The dark bay mare had been working steadily towards a start in either the April 14 Maker's 46 Mile (G1T), which she won last year, or the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) April 15. However, she has not breezed since March 4 in the wake of her incident. 

"She got loose in Florida and missed a couple breezes, but is now back galloping," Motion said. 

Motion said the Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile (G2T) on the undercard of the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) is the new target for Miss Temple City's 2017 debut. A return to Royal Ascot in June is also "still the plan."

Some of Miss Temple City's greatest career moments came over the Keeneland turf last season. After besting males in the spring to earn her first top-level victory in the Maker's 46 Mile, she duplicated that feat in the fall with a narrow triumph in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T), toppling a field that included eventual Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Tourist   .

Miss Temple City placed fifth in the Breeders' Cup Mile, but ended 2016 on a high note capturing the Dec. 4 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar.

Bred and co-owned by Bob Feld in partnership with Sagamore Farm and Needle In a Haystack, Miss Temple City was a 2016 Eclipse Award finalist for champion turf female. She has won six of 16 starts with $1,453,038 in earnings.