Fionn Seeks Second Grade 1 Win in QEII Challenge Cup

With the $800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) on her radar at Keeneland Oct. 11, George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn has the opportunity to be anointed as royalty in the 3-year-old turf filly division. Nearly unstoppable this year, the Twirling Candy filly has won five of six starts while earning over $1.7 million throughout the season. She became one of the top turf fillies in the country after running down Nitrogen by a nose in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course. Then, with Nitrogen off to challenge rivals on the dirt, Fionn backed her win up by taking the lucrative $2 million Dueling Grounds Oaks (G3T) at Kentucky Downs Sept. 10. Breaking from the far outside in a field of nine Saturday, trainer Brad Cox returns Fionn to the 1 1/8-mile distance in which she is 2-for-2. However, the Keeneland turf is the lone course she has been defeated on this year, finishing third while 3 1/2 lengths behind Nitrogen in the Appalachian Stakes (G2T) this spring. None of the field’s rivals have tasted victory on the Lexington grass, with Cox’s other entrant, Steve Landers Racing’s Destino d'Oro, being the only other starter on the course when third in last year’s Jessamine Stakes (G2T). Winner of the Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) at Ellis Park in August, the Bolt d'Oro filly was favored over Fionn in the Dueling Grounds Oaks, but finished sixth, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, over the longer route. With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for the first time, she cuts back to the distance in which she earned her grade 3 win. Both Cox runners have shown the closing style in most of their starts, with Destino d’Oro winning the Pucker Up in her lone stalking effort. On paper, the only starter to show a real affinity for setting the pace in recent starts is Stephanie Seymour Brant’s Opulent Restraint (IRE). The Dubawi (IRE) filly has yet to win in gate-to-wire style, but proved a tough customer while battling on the lead in the Belmont Oaks, surrendering late by just 3/4 lengths to Fionn and Nitrogen. Joel Rosario was aboard her that day and returns to the saddle Saturday after Flavien Prat, who will ride Fionn, finished third on the filly in the Aug. 9 Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2T). That Saratoga Oaks was the signature victory for Newstead Stables’ Laurelin (IRE), who could appoint herself queen of the division with a win. The Zarak (FR) filly is a perfect 5-for-5 in her career with victories on firm, good, and yielding courses. After three wins at a mile, trainer Graham Motion’s test stretching Laurelin out to 1 3/16 miles at Saratoga resulted in her most impressive performance yet and a career-best 102 Equibase Speed Figure. Other runners include Lush Lips (GB) from the rail, who returns home to Kentucky from a half-length defeat in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T); Simmering (GB), a two-time group stakes winner in Europe last year who makes her United States debut for Al Shaqab Racing; Lake George Stakes (G3T) winner Daisy Flyer, who's stretch run got stopped by traffic in the Dueling Grounds Oaks; Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T) winner Candy Quest, who nearly defeated Fionn in the Dueling Grounds Oaks in her second start beyond a mile; and Will Then, a grade 3 winner in California last year who ships east after finishing fifth in the Del Mar Oaks.