Minorette, Ball Dancing Ready for Any Turf Condition
On Thursday morning, trainer Chad Brown was at Keeneland for the first time during the Fall Meet to oversee the preparations of his horses here, including his two 3-year-old fillies entered in Saturday’s $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane’s End (G1): Grade 1 winner Minorette and Grade 2 winner Ball Dancing.
“They both look terrific. They’ve been training well at Belmont,” said Brown, who won the 2012 QE II with Dayatthespa. “They shipped in great, and we’re looking forward to running both of them in this race.”
Ball Dancing, a daughter of Exchange Rate who sold as a yearling at the 2012 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, is coming off a win in the Sept. 13 Sands Point (G2) at Belmont in her North American debut. Brown said bloodstock agent David Ingordo found the Kentucky-bred filly in France for owner Will Farish, who owns her in partnership with F. Steve Mooney.
Minorette, by Smart Strike, made her North American debut in April at Keeneland, running third in allowance company. She won the Belmont Oaks (G1) on July 5 and is coming off a fourth to QE II rival Crown Queen in the Aug. 16 Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga.
“She’s another one that started over in Europe and has really done well for us since arriving,” Brown said about Minorette. “She’s coming off an uncharacteristically poor performance in the Lake Placid, so we freshened her up after that. I don’t think she cared for Saratoga for whatever reason.”
Asked about how his fillies might fare on the Keeneland turf course if predicted rains come, Brown said both have some experience to draw on.
“There was some give in the ground in the Belmont Oaks that Minorette won,” he said. “Ball Dancing does have a win in a stakes over in France on softer ground. Ideally we’re shipping in looking for firm ground but it seems like both my horses will be able to handle some moisture in the ground if needed.”
Ball Dancing is the first horse Brown has trained for Farish. Minorette, a half-sister to Group 1 winners Eishin Apollon and Master of Hounds, is the first runner Brown has had for owners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith.
On Saturday, Dayatthespa won the First Lady (G1) here for her third career stakes victory at Keeneland. She has returned to Brown’s New York base and might make her next start in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) at Santa Anita.
Source: Keeneland