by Michael Burns

Chilean Group 1-winning fillies Zhou (Chi) and Laguna Plateada (Chi) were recently purchased by United States-based interests and will continue their racing careers with trainer Steve Asmussen.

Both fillies currently are acclimating at Mike Mulligan's Leprechaun Racing training center in Ocala and will join Asmussen later this winter for campaigns likely to begin in the spring.

Zhou, among Chile's top two and three-year-old fillies on the dirt last season, will race for Kip and Suzanne Knelman’s Farfellow Farms, breeder of Anees, who won the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Gulfstream Park en route to the Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old male. They also campaigned multiple Argentine group winner Critikola (Arg), dam of 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever.

Zhou won four of 11 career starts in two seasons in her native Chile, including victories in the Clasico Mil Guineas (Chi-G1) and the Clasico Tanteo de Potrancas (Chi-G1), both on dirt at Hipodromo Chile.

The four-year-old Lord Florey filly raced in Chile for Guillermo Marsh’s Stud Paula Ines and was trained by Daniel Contreras.

Laguna Plateada denied dual Zhou’s bid to sweep Hipodromo Chile's Triple Crown for fillies when scoring in the Clasico Alberto Solari Magnasco (Chi-G1) on November 10 at Hipodromo Chile.

Laguna Plateada will race for an undisclosed U.S. interest.

 A four-year-old Sir Cat filly trained in Chile by Jose Allende, Laguna Plateada won three of 12 starts for owner Stud Bucarest.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent