Breeders' Cup: Medina takes his 1st BC shot with Praying

Robert Medina knew he had a good filly in Praying, but maybe not Breeders' Cup good.

"I did think eventually she could be the type of filly as she got older that could perform in graded races and stuff like that," Medina told Horse Racing Nation on Tuesday. "But the switch kind of came on a little sooner than I would have thought."

That became apparent in her last two starts. Returning from a short break in August, 3-year-old Praying won the Grade 3 Prioress at Saratoga for her first win of the year. Then she edged favored Vahva by a half-length to win the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) at Keeneland on Oct. 4 and earn a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

She will be the first Breeders' Cup starter and first at Del Mar for Medina, who went out on his own in 2020. "I've been to Del Mar to run horses when I was assistant trainer for Shug (McGaughey), but I've never run one on my own."

Getting to this point wasn't exactly a smooth process. 

"She's a sweetheart of a filly, but she's a handful to deal with in her training and in the paddock when she runs, but she's gotten a lot better late summer and in the fall here," Medina said.

Her break came after a seventh-place finish in an optional-claiming allowance at Churchill Downs in May.

"The only way I can describe it when she ran at Churchill is she lost her mind that day," Medina said. "She went completely bonkers in the paddock. She was beat before they gave the call for the post, and then she broke through the gate before the race. If you wanted to orchestrate a disaster of a race, that's pretty much how you do it. …" 

"She never was an angel, but that day she just came unglued. And then after that we gave her a little bit of a break at the farm and then kind of hit the reset button with her. And just kind of gradually she's got a lot better, and her last two races show that. That's the real Praying."

Purchased as a 2-year-old for $410,000 and owned by Newtown Anner Stud Farm, the Vekoma filly never has gone farther than 6 1/2 furlongs, but Medina isn't concerned about going seven furlongs in the Filly & Mare Sprint.

"That would have concerned me early on in the year," Medina said. "But the way she's learned to relax and settle in her races, I think seven furlongs is in her wheelhouse."

She's scheduled to ship to Del Mar on Oct. 27.

"We're coming into a big race with a fresh horse that's doing well," Medina said. "So that's about all you could ask for in a situation like this."