Miss Temple City Makes 2017 Debut in Distaff Turf Mile

After making two trips overseas—both of which ended with admirable, but not victorious, runs at Royal Ascot— trainer Graham Motion would love nothing more than for this to be the year multiple grade 1 winner Miss Temple City proves her talent on the international stage.

Before another venture to the prestigious race meeting can be booked, however, the 5-year-old daughter of Temple City   must clear the first hurdle of showing she is the same runner that has wreaked havoc on rivals of both sex. That test comes May 6, when the dark bay distaffer makes her seasonal debut against a field of seven others in the $300,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Presented by Longines (G2T) at Churchill Downs.

The last time the racing community saw Miss Temple City, she was capping off her 2016 campaign with a victory in the Dec. 4 Matriarch Stakes (G1T) at Del Mar—her third top-level triumph in a year that also saw her defeat males in both the Maker's 46 Mile (G1T) and Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T) at Keeneland. Motion originally wanted to start the powerfully built mare back during the Keeneland spring meet, only to have his charge force a change of plans when she got loose one March morning at Palm Meadows Training Center and returned from her jaunt with some filling in a leg.

BALAN: Miss Temple City Scores Matriarch by a Nose

Having pre-entered Miss Temple City in both the June 20 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) and the June 21 Duke of Cambridge Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot, Motion crossed his fingers that the setback would prove minor. So far, so good on that front, as Miss Temple City has turned in four timed moves at Fair Hill Training Center since that incident and comes into the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile as physically imposing as ever.

"I would have liked to have run (at Keeneland). I would have preferred it, but on the flip side, I'm just glad that we got her back going and we have her on track for this race," Motion said. "I think she is bigger and stronger this year, if that's possible, because she's a big girl anyway. She weights over 1,200 pounds, and she's doing great. 

"Her last couple of works have been super. Could she have used one more work? Maybe. But I really wanted to run this weekend, because if we're going to run at Ascot, we can't cut it any closer."

Miss Temple City has performed well at Royal Ascot for the past two years, finishing fourth, beaten two lengths, in the Coronation Stakes (G1) in 2015 and occupying the same position again last year in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, both going a mile.

"I'm just excited to be able to take her back," Motion said. "Her owners have been so good and so game too to take another shot. And to even keep her in training this year—they didn't have to do that. I'm very lucky to have her."

Bred and co-owned by Bob Feld along with Sagamore Farm and Needle In A Haystack, Miss Temple City will be making her first start at Churchill and boasts a record of six wins from 16 starts with $1,453,038 in earnings.

Fellow grade 1 winner Harmonize heads into Saturday's eight-furlong test off a fourth-place finish during her seasonal debut in the April 8 Royal Heroine Stakes (G2T)  at Santa Anita Park. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly took the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T) in August and finished second to fellow Distaff Turf Mile entrant Linda in the Nov. 25 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill.

ANGST: Linda Powers Home to Win Mrs. Revere Stakes

Roca Rojo came in second behind Miss Temple City in the Matriarch and is one who could benefit from some cut in the turf should the forecast produce rain as expected this weekend. The Chad Brown-trained mare earned her lone graded stakes win in October, when she took the Athenia Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park over soft ground.

Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. Presented by Longines (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 06, 2017, Race 7

• 1m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Linda (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	120	Ian R. Wilkes	5/1
2	2Miss Temple City (KY)	Edgar S. Prado	123	H. Graham Motion	9/5
3	3Hillhouse High (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Richard Baltas	10/1
4	4Believe in Bertie (LA)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Brad H. Cox	6/1
5	5Mississippi Delta (KY)	Jose Lezcano	118	Mark E. Casse	10/1
6	6Roca Rojo (IRE)	Florent Geroux	118	Chad C. Brown	3/1
7	7Harmonize (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	William I. Mott	6/1
8	8Prize Exhibit (GB)	Mike E. Smith	118	James M. Cassidy	12/1