Scylla scoring the Shawnee. (Renee Torbit/Coady Media)
Churchill Downs Update/Edited
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – “All systems go, we’re ready for the Fleur de Lis.”
That was the confident response from Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s chief assistant, Kenny McCarthy, when asked about Scylla’s preparations for Saturday’s $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis (Grade II) at Churchill Downs.
Owned by Juddmonte, Scylla is the heavy 6-5 favorite against a compact field of five rivals in the 1 1/8-mile contest. A regally bred daughter of Tapit out of the champion mare Close Hatches, McCarthy has overseen much of Scylla’s development over her six-race career.
“She’s really continued to train great here with us at Churchill after the Shawnee,” McCarthy said. “She’s shown a lot of natural talent, and she’s really starting to figure it all out mentally, too. The Fleur de Lis is a tough race. We have a lot of respect for the fillies and mares she’ll be facing Saturday.”
Rigney Racing’s Xigera will attempt to rebound from her runner-up effort to Scylla four weeks ago in the Shawnee Stakes (Grade III) in the Fasig-Tipton Fleur De Lis.
Xigera, trained by Phil Bauer, had a brilliant 3-year-old campaign with victories in the Mother Goose (GII), Falls City (GIII) and Seneca Overnight Stakes. The daughter of Nyquist set the pace in last month’s Shawnee Stakes but was run down late by Scylla.
“She ran a lot better in the Shawnee than she did in her first start of the year when she didn’t take to the slop in the La Troienne (GI),” Bauer said. “We’re confident that she’ll give us her best effort and hopefully that will be enough to turn the tables this time around.”
The 1 1/8-mile Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis is part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen series where the top three finishers will receive partial entry fees paid should they compete in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Del Mar.
Another filly attempting to upset Scylla in the Fleur de Lis is Richard Bahde’s Taxed. A recent impressive allowance winner for trainer Randy Morse, Taxed will stretch back out to two turns in the Fleur de Lis but Morse seems confident Taxed is ready to run her best effort.
“She’s doing really well the last week leading up to this race,” Morse said. “She’s obviously shown she’s been able to handle one and two-turn races. Last time out, the one-turn allowance came up here at Churchill and she ran a great race. She’ll need to improve on that even more Saturday but we’re confident she’ll be able to do so.”
The compact field of six fillies and mares will take center stage in Race 8 at 4:25 p.m.
The field for the Fleur de Lis
The Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis is part of a six-pack of stakes contests Saturday at Churchill Downs led by the $1 million Stephen Foster (GI). Along with the Fleur de Lis, the phenomenal program will include the $500,000 Wise Dan (GII), $250,000 American Derby (Listed), $250,000 Kelly’s Landing (Listed) and $250,000 Tepin (Listed).
The Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis is also part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen series, where the top three finishers will receive partial entry fees paid should they compete in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Del Mar.
