Lady Aurelia Set for Season Debut in Giant's Causeway

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/12/2018 - 09:29
Link: 
Lady Aurelia Set for Season Debut in Giant's Causeway
Image: 
Description: 

Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Lady Aurelia used the 2017 Giant's Causeway Stakes as a seasonal debut and will run again in the race at Keeneland

Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel's European champion Lady Aurelia will face nine rivals April 14 when she kicks off her 2018 campaign in the 22nd running of the $100,000 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.

The Giant's Causeway, run at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf, is the eighth race on Saturday's 11-race program with a 4:57 p.m. ET post time.

Lady Aurelia will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the Giant's Causeway. Last year's race launched a campaign for the Wesley Ward trainee that included a group 1 victory in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in England. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly is undefeated at Keeneland, where she broke her maiden at first asking in the spring of 2016 (on dirt) before going on to win the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) and Darley Prix Morny (G1).

Lady Aurelia has not raced since finishing 10th as the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar. John Velazquez has the mount from post 8. 

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Morticia could threaten off a runner-up finish in her first out of the year, the March 10 Captiva Island Stakes, where she pressed the pace and led before finishing three-quarters of a length back in the five-furlong sprint on the Gulfstream Park lawn. That was the 4-year-old Twirling Candy  filly's first start since a victory in the Oct. 13 Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes (G3T) going the Giant's Causeway distance at Keeneland.

"I was very happy with her first race," said Morticia's trainer, Rusty Arnold. "She got a little tired. She went :43 and change (:43.75), and the filly (Blue Bahia) that beat her had already won two races during the meet, and that was our first start."

Morticia shares co-highweight of 125 pounds with Brian Chenvert and Eddie Kenneally's Girls Know Best, a $40,000 claim by her connections in October at Keeneland. The 4-year-old Caleb's Posse  filly subsequently turned in two wins and a second, including a victory in the Jan. 27 Ladies' Turf Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream, but then dropped to eighth after setting the pace in the Captiva Island. In that race, she encountered traffic trouble late and gave way.

Royal North Stakes (G3T) winner Jennifer Lynnette, multiple stakes winner Triple Chelsea, stakes winner Storm the Hill, and allowance winners Excessivespending and There'syourtrouble complete the lineup along with maiden winner Brave Daisey and maiden Lady to the Max.


Entries: Giant's Causeway S.

Keeneland, Saturday, April 14, 2018, Race 8

  • STK
  • 5 1/2f
  • Turf
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 4:57 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Excessivespending (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Robby Albarado 120 Chris A. Hartman 20/1
2 2Lady to the Max (KY) Alberto Pusac 115 Robert Lee Clark 50/1
3 3Morticia (KY) Jose Lezcano 125 George R. Arnold, II 7/2
4 4Triple Chelsea (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 120 Joe Sharp 6/1
5 5There'syourtrouble (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 120 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1
6 6Storm the Hill (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 120 Eddie Kenneally 12/1
7 7Jennifer Lynnette (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 122 Mark E. Casse 8/1
8 8Lady Aurelia (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 120 Wesley A. Ward 4/5
9 9Brave Daisey (TX) Rogelio Miranda 115 Tina Rena Hurley 50/1
10 10Girls Know Best (KY) Javier Castellano 125 Eddie Kenneally 15/1