Elate relishes Fleur de Lis' distance in bounceback win

Elate put to rest questions of whether she’s still the same horse of years past, sweeping by in deep stretch to win Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Fleur de Lis at Churchill Downs.

Going 1 1/8 miles — a distance trainer Bill Mott predicted would be right for the 5-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro — Elate surged past the battling She’s a Julie and defending race winner Blue Prize in deep stretch.

The final time under jockey Jose Ortiz was 1:50.33.

“They were kind of trying to hold her in a little bit most of the way," Mott said. "She got the rail trip, and (Ortiz) had to wait until he straightened up for home to tip out. He rode a good race. It worked out well.”

Elate was off slow, settling in behind longshot leader Skeptic, who dragged the field through opening fractions of 25.02 and 49.70, before seeming to find another gear once clear in the stretch.

"I saw Javier (Castellano) had a lot of horse with Blue Prize so I didn’t want to make a premature move," Ortiz said. "Once she saw the clear, she just cruised home.”

The Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred ended a three-race losing streak dating back to Saratoga’s Personal Ensign (G1). But her two defeats this year both came at 1 1/16 miles, and against the division leader Midnight Bisou.

Could they get a rematch at nine furlongs when this year's Personal Ensign rolls around? Later in the season, another chance at meeting comes in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, to which Elate earned a fees-paid trip with her Fleur de Lis victory.

Ahead by 1 1/2 lengths at the wire, Elate improved her record to 6-5-2 in 15 career starts, with four of those wins in graded stakes company.