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Eclipse Sportswire

The Grade 1, $750,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup will be run Saturday as part of the Keeneland fall meeting. A field of 10 3-year-old fillies received invitations from the racing office to run in this 1 1/8-mile turf race.

All but one of the field, which includes two international runners, will be looking for their first Grade 1 victory. Eight of the fillies are graded- or group-stakes winners, and the other two have a stakes win in their records. One of the non-stakes winners was victorious in the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

Here is a full-field analysis for the QE II with the official track morning-line odds. Scheduled as race 8 of 10, post time is set for 4:44 p.m. EDT.

1. Pin Up Betty, 20-1. Constitution – Mike Maker / Luis Saez – 12: 2-5-1 – $444,105. Pin Up Betty’s last victory was in June at Churchill Downs in the Regret (G3). Then she was fourth in the Belmont Oaks (G1) and second in the Pucker Up (G3) before setting the pace and finishing sixth in the rich Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs. Toss.

2. Caitlinhergrtness, 12-1. Omaha Beach – Kevin Attard / Frankie Dettori – 7: 3-1-1 – $627,069. Caitlinhergrtness started her career in New York racing on the dirt and ran three big races when she moved to the turf and the synthetic surface at Woodbine. Last time in August, this Ontario-bred beat male 3-year-olds and won the King’s Plate, which is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. Live long shot.

3. She Feels Pretty, 5-2. Karkontie – Cherie DeVaux / John Velazquez – 6: 3-1-2 – $512,379. She Feels Pretty is the only Grade 1 winner in the field, having a victory in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine last year. She was also third in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies Turf. Her first race of 2024 was a victory in the Hilltop at Pimlico. Back in graded-stakes company, she was third in the Belmont Oaks and was beaten by a neck in the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga. Win contender.

4. Waves of Mischief, 12-1. Into Mischief – Brendan Walsh / Tyler Gaffalione – 5: 2-1-1 – $606,247. Waves of Mischief won her debut at Keeneland in the spring as the 5-2 favorite in an 11-horse field on the turf. In June she did not appreciate racing on the synthetic at Woodbine and backed up badly in the stretch. Back on the grass she won the Pucker up at Ellis Park and was second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. Live long shot.

5. Soprano, 7-2. Starspangledbanner – George Boughey / Billy Loughnane – 13: 3-1-6 – $236,781. Soprano will make her American debut after 13 starts and three wins in Europe. In August she became a Group 3 winner in a stakes at Deauville in France and was third in the Matron (G1) at Leopardstown in Ireland behind the best miler in Europe. Win contender.

6. Oversubscribed, 6-1. Too Darn Hot – Chad Brown / Irad Ortiz Jr. – 4: 2-2-0 – $150,140. Oversubscribed became a stakes winner in her third start for Chad Brown in the Wild Applause at Aqueduct and then was second in the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga, beaten by less than a length. She was the favorite in all four starts. Win contender.

7. Buchu, 15-1. Justify – Philip Bauer/ Junior Alvarado – 11: 3-1-2 – $622,345. Buchu has a pair of Grade 2 victories on her resume at Keeneland in the Jessamine last year and the Appalachian in April. In four graded stakes since, her best finish was a second in the Regret. In the Del Mar Oaks (G1), she ran up on heels and then improved for fourth. Live long shot.

8. Pounce, 12-1. Lookin At Lucky – Mark Casse / Jose Ortiz – 8: 4-0-1 – $351,149. Pounce is a two-time Grade 3 winner this year in the Herecomesthebride at Gulfstream Park in March and the Lake George at Saratoga. Last time she did not appreciate cutting back to a sprint at Kentucky Downs. Win contender.

9. Grayosh, 8-1. Yoshida – Chad Brown / Flavien Prat – 6: 2-1-1 – $195,700. Grayosh was a Grade 2 winner in the Lake Placid for Chad Brown, beating She Feels Pretty, the morning-line favorite in this field. She has the look of a Chad Brown runner who could take another step forward with a couple of months between races. Top choice.

10. Candala, 9-2. Frankel – Francis-Henri Graffard / Florent Geroux – 6: 2-0-3 – $95,548. Candala will make her first start in America after racing in France until August. She won a Group 3 race at Longchamps in April and raced in a Group 1 and a pair of Group 2 stakes since then. Win contender.

Summary: Chad Brown won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup four of the last six years. He has Grayosh in this evenly matched field of 10. Grayosh beat the 5-2 morning-line favorite She Feels Pretty in the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga in August. Brown likes to give his developing horses time between races, and for Grayosh that is two months.

Grayosh is listed at a very generous 8-1 on the morning line and retained the services of jockey Flavien Prat. Grayosh is the top choice.