Lady Aurelia All Class in Giant's Causeway

There was no rust on her form and no doubt in the outcome. In fact, the only query that hung in the air after Lady Aurelia sauntered into the winner's circle following her seasonal bow April 15 was how devastating the daughter of Scat Daddy will be once her 3-year-old form is fully developed—and which country she will wreak the most havoc in.

The globe-trotting, Cartier Award-winning bay filly earned every style point in her first outing since last September when she whipped her way off the final turn and showed older rivals how it was done with a 2 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes over the Keeneland lawn.

It was during the Keeneland meet last April that Lady Aurelia first touted herself to the masses when she broke her maiden by 7 1/2 lengths at first asking going 4 1/2 furlongs on the main track. From there, the Wesley Ward trainee took her show overseas, winning the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot by seven lengths and then besting males in the Darley Prix Morny (G1) last August.

Despite finishing third in the Sept. 24 Connolly's Red Mills Cheveley Park Stakes (G1) at Newmarket, Lady Aurelia became the first American-trained horse to win a Cartier Award—taking the 2-year-old filly honor—and was an Eclipse Award finalist for that same division. 

Despite losing a right hind shoe during the 5 1/2 furlongs she ran in 1:02.40 on the firm Keeneland turf Saturday, Lady Aurelia still gave jockey John Velazquez the best seat in the house as she swept up five-wide around the final turn after tracking fifth through the opening quarter in :21.79, then proceeded to put her connections at ease with her sublime kick to the wire.

"She lost a shoe, so might have even been able to be even more impressive," said George Bolton, who co-owns Lady Aurelia along with owner/breeder Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel. "This was a relief race. It's a total relief because now we can go forward. It's like a 3-year-old colt—if you lose the Illinois Derby, you don't go forward. You regroup.

"To go forward to Royal Ascot is a huge honor, to have the right. And to win today against older fillies that are five-furlong turf specialists... it didn't bother her. She lost a shoe and she still won."

A return trip to Royal Ascot for the King's Stand Stakes (G1) this June was pegged as the early season target shortly after the filly returned to the worktab this winter. Nothing Lady Aurelia did Saturday suggested she will be anything but a massive pick to be an international star once more this season.

Where she had run her rivals into the ground with her early speed a year ago, the bay distaffer showed she could be just as effective rating in the Giant's Causeway. She settled handily under Velazquez as Ruby Notion led the 11-horse field through a half mile in :44.86, and was striding out under mild urging in the lane like an even-money favorite should.

"Lot of credit goes out to (jockey) Julio Garcia, who gets on her and works her every day. Instead of shooting to the front, he gets her to relax," Ward said. "He sits back with her and every time she works, she gets more and more relaxed. I think that's going to be a big key to where we want to go."

Nobody's Fault ran on from well back to get runner-up honors at odds of 51-1, with Ruby Notion third and Triple Chelsea fourth. Miss Katie Mae rounded out the top five.

Lady Aurelia paid out $4.00, $3.60, and $2.60 across the board.

Should all go well at Royal Ascot, Lady Aurelia could have all sorts of options on where she turns up after that. Having broken her maiden on dirt, Bolton said a start in a race like the Prioress Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course could be something to consider down the line.

"I mean, she likes the dirt as much as the turf," Bolton said. "We have options here on both surfaces. But right now, the goal is to get through Royal Ascot. To her talent, if she was able to go over there and do well in that race, no Lasix, it would good for our racing, our breed."