My Miss Lilly Scores Kentucky Oaks Berth in Gazelle

In a three-way fight to the wire, My Miss Lilly edged Sara Street to win the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) by a half-length at Aqueduct Racetrack April 7.

My Miss Lilly earned 100 points toward a start in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Sara Street broke on top in the 1 1/8-mile race to set fractions of :23.97, :48.31, and 1:13.26 through six furlongs. Coming off the turn for home, Sara Street found herself in a battle with Virginia Key and My Miss Lilly to her outside. My Miss Lilly, with Joe Bravo up, took the lead at the eighth pole and held sway, winning in 1:50.42 on a fast track.

Virginia Key was a neck behind the runner-up to settle for third. 

The Gazelle was the fourth race for Courtlandt Farms' My Miss Lilly, who had Bravo up for the first time. The daughter of Tapit  broke her maiden in her Dec. 23 debut at Aqueduct and then finished third in both the Feb. 3 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park and the March 3 Busher Stakes back at Aqueduct. 

"She had to go a little wide coming off that turn, and I was worried about that, that it might catch up to her late. But I feel like she'll really relish more and more distance" said winning trainer Mark Hennig. "Like Joe (Bravo) said, she felt like she could've run around there again. She was very strong.

"She's a filly we've always been looking forward to getting around two turns," Hennig added. "Her dam's side indicates sprint, but she's all Tapit. She's a big, long-legged Tapit, just dying to run two turns. We felt like getting around two turns was going to happen for her at a mile and an eighth."

Bred in Kentucky by Winchell Thoroughbreds, My Miss Lilly is out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Wicked Deed, who has also produced grade 2 winner Just Wicked, also by Tapit.

In the Busher, My Miss Lilly overcame a less-than-ideal trip to secure show honors behind Sara Street and winner Midnight Disguise.

"She definitely had a strange trip last time (in the Busher)," Hennig said. "I think (jockey) Manny (Franco) was trying his best, but it was one of those things where you zig where you should zag."

Midnight Disguise, the favorite Saturday, got up for fourth—although another 12 1/4 lengths out of third—after racing at the back of the field and being asked to do a lot more on the final turn. This was her first try around two turns.

"This performance was disappointing," said Linda Rice, who trains the daughter of Midnight Lute . "The speed didn't break, and they went pretty slow. I don't know how much that was a factor, but either way I think it was a subpar effort for her. Up to this point, she's fired every time we've led her over here, and today wasn't her day."

Coming off wins in the Busanda and Busher stakes, Midnight Disguise earned 10 points to bring her Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying total to 70, though Rice said she might not send her to Churchill next month.

"I think we'd be more inclined to stay home. (Owner) Bill (Wilmot) and I discussed it, and we don't need to take her to Kentucky off of that effort," Rice said.