2011 QE II Challenge Cup (G1)

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Date/Track:
10/15/2011, Keeneland
Post Time:
5:45 PM ET
Distance:
1 1/8 m (Turf)
Age/Sex:
3 F
Time:
1:48.83

What the Nation is saying about the 2011 QE II Challenge Cup (G1)...

After her neck winning thriller over Theyskens’ Theory in Saturday’s Garden City Stakes (Gr. I), I began to ponder about all of the grey and roan thoroughbreds out there today. The greats usually come few and far between but last couple years have proven different as there are a handful of them whic...Read More
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  • JWC8282 · Thank!! Glad you all like it so much!! · 209 days ago ·
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  • JWC8282 · *Thanks!! · 209 days ago ·
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Together (IRE) swept past Marketing Mix to win the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland on Saturday.Read More
  • medlocke · Much better ride by Colm O'Donoghue on Together in the Q.E.II Challenge Cup than was the case in the First Lady Stakes. He seemed to have a lot of filly still left through the stretch run of this race, IMO. It's not that much of a surprise to me that Together won this race. This is a filly that was beaten by a neck by the still unbeaten White Moonstone in the G1 Fillies Mile at Ascot in 2010. She was beaten 3/4 of a length by Blue Bunting in this year's G1 English 1000 Guineas. Blue Bunting came out of that race to go on and win both the G1 Irish and G1 Yorkshire Oaks. She was beaten 3/4 of a length by stablemate Misty For Me in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas. Misty For Me came out of that race to go on and defeat Midday in the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland. Together also has 2nd place finishes to the Juddmonte filly, Emulous, in the G1 Matron Stakes in Ireland, and a 2nd place finish to Never Retreat in last week's G1 First Lady Stakes at Keenland. This is clearly a filly with some real talent to be running that well at G1 level. It was only a matter of time before Together finally got her nose across the wire first in a G1 stakes race, and yesterday just happened to be that race. · 226 days ago ·
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Winter Memories faces a very competitive field of 7 fillies in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland this weekend. Read More
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  • rorschach1992 · Not many G1 races available for 3yo fillies on turf, at least in NY, which is where she races, which is why only the one G1 win. Disappointed at her race today, she just didn't have it, Together was very impressive though. Two G1s in a week, one win and a second, very good! · 227 days ago ·
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  • KyOaksRunner · No anticipated late-kick from Winter Memories, perhaps the Garden City effort took more out of her than expected, but Together ran a great race. · 226 days ago ·
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Together wins and Winter Memories is 4th.
Together wins QE II Challenge Cup. Winter Memories finished a disappointing 4th.   
Only four 3-year-old fillies have taken on older rivals in Keeneland’s First Lady (G1), but only Together (IRE) has attempted to come back a week later and take a shot at the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1).   Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, Together ran secon...Read More
Summer Soiree made a habit of running off the TV screen in wire-to-wire victories earlier this year on dirt at Oaklawn Park and on Polytrack at Turfway Park. Her debut on turf produced a similar result: an 8½-length victory in the Grade 3 Boiling Springs at Monmouth Park on June 25.   That spee...Read More
Three times in the history of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) a trainer has posted back-to-back victories in the race for 3-year-old fillies.   John Shirreffs could become the fourth to complete the double when he sends out a double-barreled threat in George Krikorian’s Star Billing a...Read More
This Saturday at Keeneland, Winter Memories will try and win the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1), just like her mother, Memories of Silver, did back in 1996. Read More
  • BrianZipse · I was a big fan of Memories of Silver, but honestly, I don't think she had quite the talent that her daughter does. · 230 days ago ·
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  • Bluegrass · Agreed, but she sure was a tough filly, winning big races after coming back from surgery, twice, like she did. (Thanks for reading!) · 229 days ago ·
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Winter Memories, a spectacular last-to-first winner of the Garden City (G1) in her most recent start, headlines a field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland.Read More
Winter Memories worked five furlongs in 1:01.50 at Belmont Park on Sunday in advance of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on October 15. Read More
Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Together (IRE), who rallied to finish second yesterday in the First Lady (G1), will remain at Keeneland this week for a run in Saturday’s 28th running of the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1).   “She ran very well yesterday and w...Read More
Keeneland racing secretary Ben Huffman said Saturday morning that the connections of seven 3-year-old fillies had accepted invitations for the 28th running of the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) to be contested at 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Saturday, October 15.   Among the invit...Read More
Together Goldikova, Black Caviar and Winter Memories pack a powerful punch and possess some of the most electrifying turns-of-foot in the world. Read More
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  • yukichan · It is unlikely that a much anticipated match up between Black Caviar and Sepoy will happen this spring campaign (as in Southern Hemisphere spring). Sepoy will run in the G2 Caulfield Sprint on Caulfield Cup Day--the goal is the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on October 29. BC will run in the G2 Schweppes Stakes on Cox Plate Day, and in the G1 Patinack Farm Classic two weeks later at Flemington on November 5. You must check out Sepoy's win in the Manikato Stakes (G1) against older horses. Missed the start, yet won so impressively! · 236 days ago ·
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  • lonhro · Sepoy is great but BC is something else. You can watch archival film of sprinters of days gone by and IMO you just won't find any more impressive than her. · 235 days ago ·
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Keeneland kicks off its 75th anniversary season this weekend. The track's two boutique meets bookend the year - but which meet is better?Read More
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  • Mike in SB · This spring I got to the Keeneland spring meet for the first time and it was a great experience. I have only been to Keenelland in the fall for the sales, never for racing but it would have to be pretty special to top the spring meet. · 237 days ago ·
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  • Protagonist · Either way this debate turns out ,the bottom line will be that Keeneland is BEAUTIFUL Spring or Fall. · 237 days ago ·
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The race is on and four sophomore fillies are all in position to take home an Eclipse Award...Read More
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  • BrianZipse · I gotcha, Brian ... just pointing out that it is not easy to win the 3yo Filly Championship as either a turf horse or a sprinter, but it can be done. · 252 days ago ·
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  • KyOaksRunner · I agree, it's really tough, I think there's a bit of a "dirt" bias in some of the division's end of year voting. · 251 days ago ·
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Yesterday proved a big day for the three-year-old turf fillies. First at Belmont, Winter Memories turned in a breathtaking performance...Read More
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  • BrianZipse · The QE II is the best, of her age group, plus it always attracts a few Europeans. We may all be a little disappointed that it will be her last race of her year, but this is a filly that will not be retired anytime soon. How would you like to see a more mature Winter Memories running at four and maybe five? · 253 days ago ·
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  • tiznow · She seems capable with the right trip, but after that trip WM had against that crawling pace, to kick past the rest which included a couple good horses...my answer would have to be no. · 253 days ago ·
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Impressive Garden City winner Winter Memories will wrap up her 2011 campaign in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on October 15. Read More
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  • annmatt · Why isn't she going to the Breeders Cup? Keeneland? I know her dam raced in the QEII, but jeeez, this filly deserves to have a go at the Cup. · 253 days ago ·
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  • annmatt · I totally disagree with the commentators at the end of the Garden City race where they said it was not the jockey's fault in the Lake Placid, and they were unwilling to give credit to Javier's handling of the Garden City race. Early on, Tom Durkin’s call was Winter Memories was 3 or 4 lengths from the front, then he noted she had lost a few positions. Javier deliberately slowed her down and dropped her toward the back of the pack...he wasn't going to make the same mistake getting her bottled up in mid-pack as Jose did. I think Javier did a masterful job of not panicking, taking her to the outside and then letting her talent take over. IMHO, Jose (Lezcano) could have done the exact same thing in the Lake Placid race, but instead he chose to keep her mid-pack and it allowed others to control her fate. I give total credit to Javier for this one. This is a jockey at the top of his game...he knows this horse. And he rewarded her with a hand-ride to the finish. That was just beautiful! · 253 days ago ·
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Trainer Leigh Bentley took the high road and said nothing but good things when talking about the excellent runner-up performance of Green Lantern Stables’ Sea Level Drive in Saturday’s Grade III Pucker Up Stakes.   “She came out of her race yesterday just super,” said Bentley, who was saddling ...Read More
Glen Hill Farm’s Marketing Mix, who kissed her rivals goodbye at the quarter-pole in Saturday’s Grade III Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington, came out of her impressive effort in good order and is likely to go to Kentucky for her next run in Keeneland’s Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 15...Read More

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