My Miss Lilly earns Kentucky Oaks spot with Gazelle Stakes win

My Miss Lilly emerged as the winner in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle Stakes Saturday, besting Sara Street and Virginia Key in a blanket finish at Aqueduct. The 3-year-old daughter of Tapit picked up 100 points toward the Kentucky Oaks in her first start past a mile, locking up a spot for connections that include trainer Mark Hennig and owners Courtland Farms.

Midnight Disguise, who won both the Busanda and the Busher stakes, finished a non-threatening fourth as the 8-5 favorite.

"She's a filly we've always been looking forward to getting around two turns," Hennig said of My Miss Lilly. "Her dam's side indicates sprint, but she's all Tapit. She's a big long-legged Tapit, just dying to run two turns. We felt like getting around two turns was going to happen for her at a mile and an eighth."

My Miss Lilly, who was third in the Busher behind Midnight Disguise and Sara Street, sat mid-pack in the field of six under jockey Joe Bravo. Sara Street broke sharp and set opening fractions of :23.97 and :48.31, with Mo Shopping and Virginia Key battling for position behind her. Midnight Disguise found herself in the back with Smokinpaddylassie.

Entering the home stretch, Bravo inserted My Miss Lilly into the mix on the outside. Trevor McCarthy was asking favorite Midnight Disguise to get going but the big filly spun her wheels. Sara Street and Virginia Key refused to be put away and My Miss Lilly continued to fight on the outside.

In the end, it was the gray My Miss Lilly to stick her neck in front, completing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.42. Sara Street was second with Virginia Key third. Behind Midnight Disguise came Mo Shopping and Smokinpaddylassie.

"It was the first time I was able to sit on her, and she did everything correctly," Bravo said. "I don't think distance is going to hurt her. She's bred to go long. I think she had [runner-up Sara Street and third-place finisher Virginia Key] beat. I don't think she's the kind of filly who is going to want to draw off."

"She had to go a little wide coming off that turn and I was worried about that," Hennig added, "that it might catch up to her late, but she I feel like she'll really relish more and more distance. Like Joe said, she felt like she could've run around there again. She was very strong.

Linda Rice, trainer of Midnight Disguise, said she and owner Bill Wilmot did not feel the Kentucky Oaks would be next off of the Gazelle's result.

"This performance was disappointing," Rice said. "The speed didn't break and they went pretty slow. I don't know how much that was a factor, but either way I think it was a subpar effort for her. Up to this point she's fired every time we've lead her over here and today wasn't her day."

The Gazelle was only the fourth career start for My Miss Lilly. A $670,000 yearling purchase, she won her debut in December before running third in both the Forward Gal Stakes and the Busher. 

As for the Kentucky Oaks on May 4, Hennig said: "We'll discuss it and she how she comes out of the race."