Lush Lips (GB) scores in her Keeneland debut staving off undefeated Laurelin (IRE). (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
First victory in the race for trainer Walsh and jockey Gaffalione
Keeneland Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Hoffman Thoroughbreds, Mrs. Paul Shanahan and Mrs. M.V. Magnier’s Lush Lips (GB) powered past pace-setting Opulent Restraint (IRE) nearing the eighth pole en route to a 1¼-length victory in the 42nd running of the $800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana for 3-year-old fillies Saturday afternoon.
Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Lush Lips completed 1 1/8 miles on a turf course rated as good in 1:48.01. It is the first victory in the race for Walsh and Gaffalione.
Opulent Restraint led the field of eight through fractions of :23.23, :47.70 and 1:12.08 with Lush Lips tracking in second 1½ lengths back. On the far turn, Lush Lips began to close in with the undefeated Laurelin (IRE) the only runner behind the top two making any headway.
Opulent Restraint maintained the advantage approaching midstretch until Lush Lips swept past and built enough cushion to hold off Laurelin, who rallied for second.
Making her Keeneland debut, Lush Lips is a daughter of Ten Sovereigns out of the Arcano mare Lamyaa. In notching her first graded stakes victory, Lush Lips improved her record to 10-4-4-0 and more than doubled her earnings to $769,510 with Saturday’s $387,888 check.
Lush Lips rewarded her backers with payoffs of $19.22, $6.04 and $4.52. Laurelin, ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, returned $3.48 and $2.70 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Opulent Restraint, who paid $5.26 to show under Luis Saez.
It was another 2¾ lengths back to favored Fionn, who was followed in order by Candy Quest, Daisy Flyer, Simmering (GB) and Destino d’Oro.
Racing continues Sunday with a nine-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET and featuring the 29th running of the $400,000 Franklin (G2) for fillies and mares going 5½ furlongs on the grass.
Sunday is Kids Club Family Day Presented by UK HealthCare.
Quotes from the $800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana at Keeneland
Tyler Gaffalione (winning rider of Lush Lips-GB): “She really did (get into rhythm from the outset). First, I have to give credit to (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) and his team. They’ve done a fabulous job with this filly, getting her to relax. She’s come a long way this year and really stepped it up nicely. She’s progressed great throughout the year. The race went perfectly. She broke great, put me in a good spot, relaxed beautifully, and when I asked her, she really turned it on nice. It was a great performance and great for the connections.”
Brendan Walsh (winning trainer): “Surprisingly, we did (gain confidence from her runner-up finish at today’s distance in the Aug. 16 Del Mar Oaks-G1 Presented by Keeneland Sales), because that was always in the back of our minds, that maybe it was as far as she wanted to go. But I think she went against the grain, and it seems she has no problem going the mile and an eighth. It was fantastic. (Her ability to lay off the pace gives us options) without a doubt. It opens a big door for her, especially for next year, because we always thought this filly was going to be a good 4-year-old. It’s fantastic to win a Grade 1 with her.”
Phillip Shelton (Racing Manager of co-owner Medallion Racing): “As a kid growing up, I didn’t know a lot about the Breeders’ Cup. I just knew we could come to it (here at Keeneland). I think my parents didn’t bring me opening weekend because it was going to be too crowded. But this (Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup) was the one race we had to come to every year. If you’d have said, ‘Pick any race the partnership could win, it would be this one here at Keeneland.’ The (credit) goes to (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) and his team and the filly. She’s just got a ton of heart, and we’re very lucky.”
On Lush Lips’ progress throughout the year: “She started in Ireland (last year) and then we brought her here, which is part of our program’s plan. She just has taken a step forward, step forward, every single time. In her last seven starts (including today’s race), she’s been first or second, every single one. Today was the icing on the cake. Again, we’re just very lucky.”
Kendrick Carmouche (rider of runner-up Laurelin-IRE): “She (Lush Lips) opened up so fast away from her (Laurelin). My filly just couldn’t engage to get her again until the last sixteenth. She ran very well. She did everything perfectly. I was in the perfect spot following the 1 horse (Lush Lips). At the five-sixteenths pole, we all quickened, but the 1 horse just got away from her and quickened a lot faster. That’s why my filly started running at the end again, because she hadn’t gotten her feet back up underneath her to go catch her (the winner).”
Brad Cox (trainer of fourth-place finisher and beaten favorite Fionn): “We won a (turf) race earlier today (with Chapman’s Peak in Race 7) on the lead, and it seems that is where you need to be early. Where she was (far back), she wasn’t going to get it done from there. She’s had a long year. We’ll talk it over with the owners, but she would be OK to take a breather. We will come up with a game plan to maybe race her again in 2026.”
