Sheer Drama, Curalina Head Small But Select Field in La Troienne
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Multiple Grade I winners Sheer Drama and Curalina headline a small but select field of seven fillies and mares entered today for Friday’s 31st running of the $300,000 La Troienne (GI), one of five graded stakes leading up to the 142nd running of the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).
Gates open at 8 a.m. (all times Eastern) for Friday’s 13-race program that begins at 10:30 a.m.
In addition to the La Troienne, other stakes on the program are the 13th running of the $400,000 Alysheba Presented by TwinSpires.com (GII) for older horses going 1 1/16 miles on the main track, the 61st running of the $200,000 Eight Belles Presented by Big Fish Games (GII) for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the main track, the 31st running of the $150,000 Edgewood Presented by Forcht Bank (GIII) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf and the 22nd running of the $150,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Presented by TwinSpires.com for older horses going five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf Course.
Harold Queen’s homebred Sheer Drama, winner of the Delaware Handicap (GI) and Personal Ensign (GI) in 2015, opened her 2016 campaign with a victory in the Madison (GI) at Keeneland over Breeders’ Cup winners Stopchargingmaria and Wavell Avenue.
Trained by David Fawkes, Sheer Drama finished second in the La Troienne last year. She will have regular rider Joe Bravo aboard Friday and break from post position two.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Curalina, winner of the Acorn (GI) and Coaching Club of America Oaks (GI) in 2015, will be making her first start since finishing third behind Stopchargingmaria in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) last October.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, one of six conditioners to win the race twice, Curalina will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post position one. Pletcher’s other La Troienne winners were Oonagh Maccool (IRE) in 2006 and Authenticity in 2013.
The La Troienne will go as the afternoon’s sixth race with a 1:26 post time.
The field for the La Troienne, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Curalina (Velazquez, 118 pounds), Sheer Drama (Bravo, 118), Angela Renee (Javier Castellano, 118), Brooklynsway (Robby Albarado, 118), Penwith (Luis Saez, 120), Engaginglee (Corey Lanerie, 118) and Theogony (Ricardo Santana Jr., 118).
Source: Churchill Downs
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