Elate Draws Rave Reviews in Half-Mile Work

The impression the big girl has left recently keeps eliciting comparisons to the big mare.

Physically, there is an easy line to be drawn between multiple grade 1 winner Elate and her late predecessor Royal Delta—the three-time Eclipse Award heroine who gave their trainer Bill Mott back-to-back victories in what was then the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (G1). They share the same dark bay coat, the same elegant but powerful frame, and the same ability to get over a racetrack without looking like they are even extending themselves.

There is also the obvious similarity of Elate enjoying the kind of form upswing Royal Delta was on prior to her first Breeders' Cup triumph. While Mott hesitates to put the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  on that kind of pedestal just yet, he is happy to have the 3-year-old filly keep the conversation going Nov. 3 when she makes her expected start in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

"I guess there are some things you can certainly compare between the two," Mott smiled. "But (Elate) has to win three championships before we can really do that."

Elate's final major preparation towards her Distaff outing was completed in stellar fashion Oct. 29 when she turned in a four-furlong work in :49 flat at Del Mar, leveling off extremely well down the stretch.

After breaking off easily, Elate steadily built momentum during her half-mile work and finished up well within herself. Coming off her 8 1/4-length victory over elders in the Sept. 30 Beldame Stakes (G1), she gives the impression of a horse with plenty more in the tank—something that will be needed as she is set to face the likes of champion Stellar Wind and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Abel Tasman in the Distaff.

"Royal Delta was lucky enough and good enough (to win the Distaff) as a 3-year-old and hopefully this big girl can do the same," Mott said. "I'm sure she'll make a good account of herself.

"She looked good today, she was off easy and finished up well. I don't have any complaints about the work at all."

Owned and bred by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, Elate has completely turned her season around after a less than auspicious beginning to her 3-year-old campaign. 

Following a third-place run in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park in March, Elate was pulled up and vanned off in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) when jockey Jose Ortiz thought he felt his mount take an off-step. Nothing was amiss as it turned out, and she has proceeded to elevate herself since with a narrow runner-up finish to Abel Tasman in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and her first top-level victory in the Aug. 19 Alabama Stakes (G1).

"We really didn't do anything different with her in her training, didn't do anything to turn her around. We just allowed her to be herself," Mott said. "Sometimes you can't make things happen, you have to let them happen and I think that's the case with her. 

"She probably wasn't ready to beat the best of the group earlier in the year but I'd say the second half of the year, she's stepped up to the plate and shown she belongs with the best of them."

Just before Elate showed off to the Del Mar onlookers Sunday, unbeaten grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories put on her own exhibition in her last major work for the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

The daughter of Malibu Moon  worked four-furlongs in :48 flat, reaching out well over the Del Mar surface with no urging from her exercise rider.

"That was perfect, she looked really smooth I thought. She just glided over the track," trainer Simon Callaghan said.

Unbeaten in three starts, Moonshine Memories heads into the Juvenile Fillies off victories in the Sept. 2 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and the Sept. 30 Chandelier Stakes (G1), the latter of which saw her draw off to win by 2 3/4 lengths over the 1 1/16-mile distance she will travel this weekend. Her victrory in the Debutante came just two weeks after she had broken her maiden, signifying how much her conditioner thought of her.

"She's just got a wonderful temperament and disposition and that gave us the encouragement to run her back quickly," Callaghan said. "It wouldn't be typically what we do but she bounced out of that first race so well and has progressed from each race.

"She has a lot of speed but she is relaxed with it. She can be on the lead, she can rate beautifully. She just has a great mind."

Other Breeders' Cup hopefuls working on the Del Mar main track Sunday included Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) contender Curlin's Approval (four furlongs in :47 2/5), Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) contender Bigger Picture (four furlongs in :51),  Juvenile Fillies contender Princess Warrior (four furlongs in :48 2/5), and Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) contender Iron Fist (four furlongs in :49 3/5).