Lush Lips has been on a tear this fall in Kentucky. Earning a breakthrough victory at the top level Oct. 11 in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T), she then sold for $3.7 million at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. On Nov. 28, she rewarded her new ownership with a hard-fought victory in the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.
Off her impressive Keeneland victory, Dixiana Farms' pricey acquisition went off as the heavy favorite in the 1 1/16-mile grass event for sophomore fillies. Breaking from the rail under Tyler Gaffalione, the filly settled into second in a tracking position behind 5-1 second choice Classic Q, who set moderate fractions of :24, :48.46, and 1:12.21. Unhurried early, Gaffalione tipped Lush Lips to the outside nearing the far turn and started closing the gap.
Lush Lips pulled on even terms with her rival entering the stretch and appeared ready to blow by, but Classic Q dug in and battled back before Lush Lips finally started pulling away in the final sixteenth. Just as she put away that rival, Pretty Picture surged with a late rally on the outside, but fell just short of catching the winner.
"All the credit goes to Brendan and his team," Gaffalione said. "She's an incredibly talented filly and we saw that last time when she won the QE II at Keeneland. We saw it again today. We sat a great trip and I was just a passenger."
Lush Lips ($3.14) completed the 1 1/16 miles on a firm track in 1:41.75, just .02 seconds off the stakes record. Pretty Picture finished a half-length back in second, a neck ahead of Classic Q who held on for third.
Bred in Great Britain by the Pocock Family, Lush Lips began her career in Ireland for trainer Donnacha O'Brien and owners Stewart Hoffman, Mrs. Paul Shanahan, Mrs. M.V. Magnier, and the American-based Medallion Racing and Steve Weston (Parkland Thoroughbreds). After going 0-for-2 in Ireland, she finished ninth in her North American debut at Kentucky Downs and was transferred to trainer Brendan Walsh, for whom she has flourished.
Since entering Walsh's barn, the filly has finished first or second in eight starts, with wins in the Tepin Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, and Mrs. Revere, and placings in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T), Edgewood Stakes (G2T), and Florida Oaks (G3T). The win in the Mrs. Revere was her fifth win in 11 starts, and pushed her earnings to $916,760.
READ: Lush Lips, QEII Cup Winner, Nets $3.7M at Keeneland
“She’s improved the entire year,” Walsh said. “All credit to our team. I’m very thankful for the Dixiana Farms team to keep her in training. We had this race in mind after the sale. We’ll take her down to Florida after this and get her ready for her 4-year-old season.”
Lush Lips is one of five graded/group stakes winners for Ten Sovereigns, who was also represented this year in the United States by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner Balantina—whose ownership includes former Lush Lips co-owners Medallion and Parkland—and American Turf Stakes (G1T) winner Zulu Kingdom. Ten Sovereigns stands in Turkey.
