Keeneland's QEII Challenge Cup the Main Goal for Fionn

George Messina and Michael Lee's newly-minted grade 1-winner Fionn was a determined nose victor of the $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) July 5, a 1 1/8-mile Mellon turf route for sophomore fillies during the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. Trainer Brad Cox reported Fionn was in good order the morning of July 6 and that he will work backwards from the 1 1/8-mile Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1T) at Keeneland in October, with a logical stepping stone being the 1 3/16-mile $500,000 Saratoga Oaks (G2T) Aug. 9. "She's doing good," Cox said. "She galloped out well and looks great this morning. She'll stay here, and the Saratoga Oaks is in play. I think the QEII at Keeneland is our main goal, but how we get there I don't know yet. Kentucky Downs is in play, too. We can take a little bit of a deep breath with her now that she's a grade 1 winner." A $75,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Fionn is now a dual graded stakes-winner with over $600,000 in total purse earnings. As for upcoming stakes action at the traditional 40-day Saratoga meet, Cox noted he has a handful of contenders likely for prestigious Spa events, including reigning champion 2-Year-Old Filly Immersive for the July 19 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), dual graded stakes-placed Nash for the July 19 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G2), and Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer for the Aug. 16 Alabama Stakes (G1). Test Score Returns Home After Belmont Derby Following his victory in the July 4 Belmont Derby Invitational (G1T), trainer Graham Motion said Test Score has returned to his home base of Fair Hill in fine fettle. "He went home the next morning and seems good," Motion said. "He puts a lot into his races. He really is just a very hard-knocking, hard-trying horse. He does what he has to do." Motion said Test Score, who adds to previous graded success in the Transylvania Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland in April, could come under consideration for the $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1T) Aug. 2. "We'll definitely consider running back up here in the next one. I do think he might benefit from a little more time between races just because he puts a lot into it and he gets himself a little wound up on race day," Motion said. "I want to be careful not to run him back too quickly, but we'll definitely consider the next one." Think Big Has Options On Path to Breeders' Cup Mile Godolphin homebred Think Big earned a third graded stakes victory in his last four starts while winning the Kelso Stakes (G3T) on Saratoga's inner turf Saturday. Trained by Michael Stidham, the 4-year-old Twirling Candy gelding had not traveled two turns since a pacesetting eighth in a 1 1/8-mile Keeneland allowance on dirt in October. At that time, Stidham decided to switch surfaces with Think Big and cut him back in distance—a decision that proved prudent with his charge taking down both the Shakertown Stakes (G2T) in April at Keeneland the Turf Sprint (G2T) in May at Churchill Downs. Stidham said Think Big's Kelso effort could potentially earn him a shot in the one-mile $750,000 Fourstardave Stakes (G1T) Aug. 2, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 1—a race he is keen to point towards with the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) contested at an abbreviated five furlongs at Del Mar. However, Stidham said he will speak with the connections this week to also discuss lucrative options for Think Big at Kentucky Downs, including the six-furlong $2 million Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint (G2T) Aug. 30 and the $2.5 million Mint Millions Invitational (G3T) Sept. 6. "There's the Fourstardave in a month, so that's certainly in the mix. Everything is on the table right now," Stidham said. "This is what we were hoping for when we tried the mile, that these new doors will open up because the thought of running five furlongs at the end of the year at the Breeders' Cup was not a good option. Although he's been successful at 5 1/2-furlongs, I think five (furlongs) is a little too short and I wasn't really looking forward to that. Hopefully, if he's healthy and doing well, this helps us with running him in the Breeders' Cup at the end of the year, going a mile."