Lady Eli: Time for a Championship

Good vibrations and goose bumps all around. How could you not feel a little giddy inside while watching Lady Eli sprint home an electrifying winner of yesterday's $400,000 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa at Saratoga? Arguably racing's best story over the last few years, the magnificent daughter of Divine Park threw down one of her finest performances on the big stage of Travers Stakes Day. I can't help thinking that the terrific turf mare has come full circle and is now in the process of tying up her career with a pretty little bow and ribbon. There is only one thing missing -- An Eclipse Award.

That's correct -- Lady Eli, as fantastic as her career has been, has not yet won a year end championship. It's time for that to change.

At two, Lady Eli won all three starts, including the Grade 3 Miss Grillo, and the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. in all three, as she has in every career start, she was clearly the best in her division. With no turf awards available for the youngsters, her only chance for a championship in 2014 was as Champion Juvenile Filly, but the award went to the upset winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Take Charge Brandi.

At three, Lady Eli again won all three of her starts. The three stakes victories were highlighted by a commanding win in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks. The season, though, was cut short after stepping on a nail, and contracting laminitis. Her Eclipse bid fell short in two divisions: Stellar Wind was Champion Three-year-old Filly, while Tepin took home the award as Champion Female Turf Horse. More importantly than any championship in 2015, was Lady Eli overcoming her battle with the killer disease.

At four, Lady Eli returned from her ordeal more popular than ever. She did not actually make it back to the races until late August in the same race she won yesterday. Her second-place finish, after well more than a year off, was a good sign. Sure enough, Lady Eli was a Grade 1 winner again in her next race, scoring in the Flower Bowl. Unfortunately, she was nipped in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf by the European, Queen's Trust. Tepin once again was named Champion Female Turf Horse.

This year, Lady Eli is in the midst of a full season. A mature five-year-old, she just missed in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland to open the season. Since that one, she has strung together three straight wins, the first two were of the Grade 1 variety in the Gamely at Santa Anita and Diana and Saratoga. Counting yesterday's Grade 2 victory, she has now put herself atop her division. In fact, no one else is even close.

After yesterday's decisive and popular victory, her beautiful career record stands at 13 starts, 10 wins, and 3 very competitive seconds, with $2,939,800 in the bank.

Speaking of her big win one race after the Travers, her trainer, Chad Brown said, "It was a quite a thrill to be able to run her one more time here. We're relieved we made the right decision to run. She's never let us down. I'm 50-50 right now whether she'll go into the Flower Bowl or train up into the Breeders' Cup, but we'll take her lead and she'll let us know."

This leaves either one or two more starts for the Sheep Pond Partners owned mare, before she is sold in the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. By the time that happens, my guess is that Lady Eli has clinched her first Eclipse Award. It's the only way a champion like her should go out.