French Classic Winner Precieuse to Race on Derby Day

The connections of French classic winner Precieuse hope the filly is ready to put together a nice stretch of races after an impressive return.

Peter Brant's Precieuse, who secured her first United States win when opening the season with a victory in the Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the $400,000 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T).

After nearly a seven-month break, Precieuse rallied from sixth early to post a half-length victory in the Honey Fox March 2 on the turf at Gulfstream. That effort marked the second U.S. start for Precieuse, who previously finished second in the Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes in early August 2018 on the Saratoga Race Course turf.

After the Honey Fox, trainer Chad Brown noted that Brant had shown a lot of patience with the filly who raced just once in 2018 after a 2017 season in which she won the Abu Dhabi Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (G1) (French One Thousand Guineas) for previous owner Anne-Marie Hayes.

"It meant a lot for us to win today," Brown said after the Honey Fox. "Mr. Brant has been very patient with this horse, obviously she hasn't run much in a couple of years with a few injuries. It was important to get the year started off and she deserved to run the whole year (as opposed to being retired to be a broodmare)."

Brown also will send out Juddmonte Farms' homebred Environs, a 4-year-old daughter of Dansili who rolled to an easy allowance win at the Keeneland spring meeting. Juddmonte also will have Capla Temptress, who is trained by Bill Mott, making her first start since a clear victory in the My Charmer Stakes (G3T) in December at Gulfstream.

As Precieuse tries to build on her promising start to 2019, last year's Churchill Distaff Turf Mile winner Proctor's Ledge also enters off a seasonal debut she figures to build on for trainer Brendan Walsh. Patricia Moseley's Proctor's Ledge finished a close second in the Sand Springs Stakes March 30 at Gulfstream. Front-running Valedictorian, who finished a head in front of Proctor's Ledge in that race, also is entered Saturday.

Making her seasonal debut for trainer George Weaver is Jim and Susan Hill's Daddy Is a Legend, who closed 2018 with a runner-up finish in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) on the turf at Del Mar.

Entries: Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G2T)

Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 04, 2019, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $400,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Raven's Lady (GB)	Florent Geroux	118	James M. Cassidy	20/1
2	2Take These Chains (IRE)	Mike E. Smith	118	Matt Hogan	15/1
3	3Proctor's Ledge (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Brendan P. Walsh	5/1
4	4Beau Recall (IRE)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Brad H. Cox	10/1
5	5Daddy Is a Legend (PA)	Manuel Franco	118	George Weaver	5/1
6	6Precieuse (IRE)	Javier Castellano	118	Chad C. Brown	3/1
7	7Capla Temptress (IRE)	Joel Rosario	118	William I. Mott	6/1
8	8Got Stormy (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Mark E. Casse	8/1
9	9Environs (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Chad C. Brown	8/1
10	10Valedictorian (NJ)	Luis Saez	118	Kelly J. Breen	6/1