Mission of Joy victorious in the Regret (G3) June 3, 2023, at Churchill Downs (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Trainer Graham Motion said that Mission of Joy has trained so forwardly this winter in Florida that he decided to enter the 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly in the $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream Park.
Mission of Joy punctuated a strong 2023 season with a solid third in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) on Oct. 14 at Keeneland. The QEII was the Ontario-bred’s seventh start in 2023, a campaign that featured wins in the Florida Oaks (G3) and the Regret (G3).
“Then we gave her a little break after that,” Motion said. “I hadn’t originally planned to run her in this, but she kind of came back quickly and handled the breezes down here pretty well.”
Mission of Joy returned to the worktab on Dec. 31 and has had four breezes at Palm Meadows Training Center, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
In the Queen Elizabeth II, Mission of Joy was forwardly placed on an inside trip under John Velazquez right behind pacesetter Mawj, winner of the One Thousand Guineas (G1). Lindy made a big late run to pass Mission of Joy near the wire. Mawj won by a half-length and Mission of Joy was another half-length back of Lindy.
“That was a big race,” Motion said. “The winner of that came back and just got beat in the Breeders’ Cup (Mile, by a nose).
Mission of Joy was purchased as a yearling by RyZan Sun Racing for $32,000. She was a non-factor in her first try as a maiden in a sprint on the synthetic surface at Woodbine on Sept. 22.
“I didn’t think that she was going to be this kind of filly early on,” Motion said.
Last winter, running longer on the turf, she won three straight at Tampa Bay Downs. She has competed in stakes at Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Colonial Downs and Keeneland and has earned $355,817. Madaket Stables became a partner after her maiden victory.
Motion said that Mission of Joy has continued to improve with maturity. She drew Post 11, is 10-1 on the morning line and will be ridden again by Velazquez.
“Johnny has been on her the last two times for breezes, so he knows her pretty well now,” Motion said.
The Filly & Mare Turf is an automatic qualifier for the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood in late July. The winner gets an automatic entry into the race and a $25,000 travel stipend.
