Tam Tam winning the Del Mar Oaks, Benoit Photo
Keeneland Press
LEXINGTON, KY — Rigney Racing’s Tam Tam took command early and stayed throughout for her second straight Grade 1 victory in Saturday’s 43rd running of the $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana at Keeneland.
Junior Alvarado guided the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro to a 2½-length win over Faithful Departed with European invader Braida (FR) third and Storm’s Wake fourth in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies.
Tam Tam added the QE II Presented by Dixiana to her victory in the Aug. 22 Del Mar Oaks (G1) Presented by Keeneland Sales in her prior start. A Kentucky-bred out of the Distorted Humor mare Princess Julia, Tam Tam also gave trainer Phil Bauer his third Grade 1 victory along with the Del Mar Oaks and the 2023 La Troienne (G1) Presented by TwinSpires with Rigney Racing’s Played Hard.
A maiden from three starts to begin 2026, Tam Tam won back-to-back races at Gulfstream Park, including the Sanibel Island (L) Presented by Surfside in late March. She placed in two straight graded stakes on the turf at Churchill before a victory there in the Tepin (L) set up her run in the Del Mar Oaks.
Tam Tam won the Del Mar Oaks after tracking the early speed and overtaking the leader in the stretch. She took the lead shortly after the start in the QE II Presented by Dixiana and led 2-1 favorite and Canadian classic winner Luster and Faithful Departed past the stands the first time and through the opening quarter in :23.55 over the good turf course.
Alvarado kept 4-1 third choice Tam Tam up front on the backstretch to the half in :47.81 and 6 furlongs in 1:12.88. Luster started to retreat approaching the stretch, while Tam Tam spurted clear in the lane. Tam Tam led by 1½ lengths at the eighth pole, past the mile split in 1:37.57 while 3-1 second choice Faithful Departed stayed on and Braida emerged from the pack for her late run. Tam Tam stayed clear in deep stretch to win in 1:49.91.
Faithful Departed finished second for the third straight time in a graded turf stakes – along with the Belmont Oaks (G1) and the Saratoga Oaks (G2), both at Saratoga – and was a length ahead of Braida. Storm’s Wake, a 16-1 longshot coming off a win in the Old Dominion Oaks (L), finished 1¾ lengths back in fourth. Deep Learning, Soloist, Turner’s Charm, Luster, Kensington Lane (IRE) and Lookin At Diamond completed the field.
Tam Tam won for the fifth time in 10 starts and picked up $435,938 to boost her earnings to $1,084,738. She returned $10.54, $4.24 and $3.14. Faithful Departed paid $4.10 and $3, while Braida returned $5.22.
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