Serengeti Empress set for season bow in Houston Ladies Classic
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
Off just a pair of local half mile works, Joel Politi’s 2019 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, an Eclipse Award finalist in the 3-year-old filly division, is on target to make her seasonal debut in the Grade 3, $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic set for Jan. 26.
“She’s a horse who gets herself ready quickly,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “She’s going to go to Houston. There’s not really a dirt race for her here at Fair Grounds.”
In addition to the Kentucky Oaks, the now 4-year-old daughter of Alternation also won the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and placed in both the Acorn (G1) and Test (G1). She capped off her sophomore season with a third-place finish behind Blue Prize and Midnight Bisou in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Serengeti Empress will likely face fellow graded stakes winners Street Band, Mylady Curlin and Lady Apple in the 1 1/16-mile Houston Ladies Classic.
Cotillion Stakes (G1) winner Street Band will also make her 4-year-old debut in the Ladies Classic. In addition to the Cotillion, the daughter of Istan also captured the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Indiana Oaks (G3).
Mylady Curlin capped off 2019 by winning the Falls City (G2) at Churchill Downs. Earlier in the year she took the Allaire duPont Distaff (G3), Mari Hulman George Memorial Stakes and Lady Jacqueline Stakes.
Trainer Steve Asmussen will likely send out Fantasy Stakes (G3) winner Lady Apple. The daughter of Curlin also won the Remington Park Oaks (G3) and Iowa Oaks (G3) in addition to finishing third in the Kentucky Oaks.
Entries close Sunday.
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