Evening Jewel, winner of this spring’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) and undefeated in three starts on the grass, and Check the Label, winner of the latest edition of the Appalachian Stakes (gr. IIIT), top a list of 10 3-year-old fillies issued invitations to the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT) Oct. 16 at Keeneland.
Trained by James Cassidy and owned by the Braly Family Trust, Evening Jewel followed her Ashland victory with a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) when she was nailed in the last jump by Blind Luck. Moved to the turf after the Oaks, Evening Jewel has consecutive victories in the Honeymoon (gr. IIT) at Hollywood Park, the San Clemente (gr. IIT) at Del Mar, and the grade I Del Mar Oaks. She is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Oct. 11.
Check the Label, trained by Graham Motion and owned by Brereton Jones, has four consecutive wins. Since taking the Appalachian, Check the Label has won the Sands Point Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park, the Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT) at Colonial Downs, and most recently the Garden City Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park.
Other invitees are E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Awesome Maria, Michael Talla’s Crisp, Lawrence Peifer’s Dade Babe, Marty, Emily and Pam Wygod’s Harmonious, Phillips Racing Partnership’s La Cloche, Charles Fipke’s Perfect Shirl, Barbara Hunter’s Snow Top Mountain and Martin Schwartz’s Zagora.