by Mike Curry
Shadwell Stable’s homebred Alwajeeha capitalized on a perfect stalking trip under John Velazquez to earn her first Grade 1 victory in the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course.
The Dixieland Band filly settled in comfortably in second as Storm Mesa set a solid pace in the 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-old fillies. Alwajeeha surged past Storm Mesa in early stretch, opened a clear advantage, and held off fast-closing runner-up Backseat Rhythm and My Princess Jess to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths.
“The filly did it great,” Velazquez said. “We wanted to be close to the lead. After that, every time I asked her for a little more she kept giving it to me. I was very, very impressed with her.”
Velazquez, a two-time Eclipse Award winner as outstanding jockey, returned to race riding for the first time since he was injured in a frightening spill on October 3, Keeneland’s opening day. Velazquez’s mount, Tap Dancing, fell over Whacka Whacka, ridden by Jamie Theriot, who clipped heels with Rapid Mon in early stretch of the 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race. Velazquez was not seriously injured and was released from the University of Kentucky Medical Center on October 4.
“I’m very blessed that nothing really very serious happened to me,” Velazquez said. “Thanks to Keeneland and everybody at the hospital, they treated me very well, and they really took good care of me.”
Alwajeeha won her graded stakes debut on April 16 at Keeneland with a victory in the Appalachian Stakes (G3). She subsequently finished fourth in the Sands Point Stakes (G2) and second in the Lake George Stakes (G2).
Alwajeeha entered the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup off a sixth-place finish on September 6 at Belmont Park in the Garden City Stakes (G1), which was won by Backseat Rhythm. She got the jump on that familiar foe in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and that proved to be the deciding factor.
Storm Mesa controlled the pace through an opening quarter in :23.38 and a half-mile in :47.17 as Alwajeeha waited for her cue within three lengths of the leader. Backseat Rhythm was reserved in eighth by Javier Castellano and My Princess Jess was rated in sixth by Eibar Coa through a half-mile.
As Storm Mesa began to fade after six furlongs in 1:11.61, Alwajeeha shook free to a commanding lead at odds of 11.60-to-1 and remained clear to win in 1:48.09 on firm turf.
Backseat Rhythm nipped Lake George winner My Princess Jess by a neck for second. Grade 1 winner Ariege never threatened and finished fifth as the 5-to-2 favorite.
Alwajeeha improved to three wins and three seconds in nine starts and more than doubled her career earnings to $486,927. She is out the winning Seattle Slew mare Ridaa.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor