Gina Romantica outkicks McKulick in QEII Challenge Cup

Lexington, Ky. 

In California it is the “other Baffert.” In New York it is the “other Pletcher.” And on the turf, it is the “other Chad.” Want to beat the favorite? Turn to that trainer’s longer of the two shots.

That was what happened Saturday, when Gina Romantica (9-2) outkicked her millionaire stablemate McKulick (4-5) to win the Grade 1, $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for six 3-year-old fillies on another sunny day at Keeneland.

The two trained by Chad Brown were practically inseparable going the first seven furlongs of the 1 1/8-mile turf race.

“Just to try to break as well as we can and then get a good, forward spot,” Brown said when asked about his pre-race strategy. “Then just see how the pace developed. It didn’t look like there was a lot of speed on paper.”

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There also was not on the grass course made über firm by an unending drought. After chasing early fractions of 23.66, 48.22 and 1:12.83 set by Ireland shipper Paris Peacock (8-1), Flavien Prat made the first move with Gina Romantica, splitting horses at the three-sixteenths pole. He said the pace actually was quicker than he expected.

“She broke really well,” said Prat, who also won the QEII with Brown’s filly Shantisara last year. “I actually was OK to make the lead, but the pace was fast, so I got myself tucked in. She relaxed well and really kicked on well when it was time to make a move. … Turning for home I got a good gap and squeezed on in, and she responded really well.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. took McKulick wide but was late to Gina Romantica’s party. It was all she could do to reel in Bellabel (3-1), who was second throughout the race. McKulick caught Bellabel at the wire, but she lost by 1 3/4 lengths to Gina Romantica.

“It was a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “She broke good. I got a perfect spot on the backside. I have no excuses. The other filly was better today. She cut the corner, and everything opened up for her. She was there and gave a good turn of foot.”

Bellabel finished third, a neck behind McKulick. Then came deep-closing California Angel (12-1) followed by She’s Gone (22-1) and finally Paris Peacock.

Gina Romantica, who was clocked at 1:36.58 for the first mile, had a winning time of 1:48.20, the fastest running of the QEII since 2008 on a course that produced five stakes-record times last week.

It was the fifth time Brown won the race. The first came with Dayatthespa in 2012 followed by Rushing Fall in 2018, Cambier Parc in 2019, Shantisara and now Gina Romantica. No other trainer has more than three QEII victories.

“I’ve been lucky,” Brown said. “I’ve had some really great fillies to work with through the years. I’ve had great rides from top jockeys, and of course my staff has been a consistent part of that process of winning these races. Many, many of the same team members have been working with all of the five Queen Elizabeth winners, so what an honor.”

A $1.025 million filly bought as a yearling by Peter Brant, Gina Romantica was a beaten favorite her last time out. She and Prat yielded four lengths of ground before closing to finish second by a half-length to Faith in Humanity last month in the one-mile Pebbles (G3) at Aqueduct.

Since her debut win in March, the Into Mischief filly was an allowance victor at Belmont Park before she got her first stakes victory in the Riskaverse on Aug. 25 at Saratoga.

Brown said a Grade 1 turf victory was not exactly in the early plans for Gina Romantica.

“A lot of patience and a lot of plan B and C with a horse we thought first was a dirt horse,” he said. “Five Queen Elizabeths, this is probably the most memorable, obviously with the recent passing of The Queen.”

Brown said it was likely that both Gina Romantica and McKulick, a millionaire with two graded-stakes wins this year, would get some time off.

“McKulick is definitely going to get a break,” he said. “We were thinking about giving her a break after (winning last month’s Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational). I went one more time. I think what you saw with her was the cutback in distance off a three-turn race might have took just a little bit more of that turn of foot away from her at the end of a long campaign for her. I’m very proud of the way she ran.

“Gina Romantica, I’m not really sure. Probably rest her as well. I will speak to Mr. Brant about that.”

It was Brown’s second Grade 1 exacta of the Keeneland fall meet that began last Friday. In Italian and Regal Glory finished first and second for him last Saturday in the First Lady.