Misty For Me took the lead at the start and never looked back, rolling to a front-running one-length victory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-I) at the Curragh Aug. 29.
One of four juvenile fillies in the race trained by Aidan O’Brien, Misty For Me was dismissed at odds of 10-1, with favoritism going to the undefeated Memory. The Richard Hannon-trained filly entered the Moyglare Stud off of an impressive victory in the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cherry Hinton Stakes (Eng-II) on July 7.
Under an astute ride by jockey Seamie Heffernan, Misty For Me took the lead at the break. She was followed closely by Light Footsteps and Laughing Lashes with Memory held up toward the rear by Richard Hughes.
Laughing Lashes briefly challenged the leader two furlongs from the wire, but Misty For Me easily held her off, finding another gear and spurting away from her to win comfortably.
With the victory, Misty For Me earns a berth in the $1 million Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs Nov. 5. She is nominated.
Laughing Lashes held on for second, a neck in front of the late-closing Kissable. Memory was never a factor and finished sixth.
Final time for the seven furlongs was 1:24.56 over the good to firm going.
Winning rider Heffernan said of his filly after the race: “She’s tough and very genuine. Aidan said to let her stride along in front and see if the others could catch her. I was happy that I was on the best filly and it all worked out.”
Bred in Ireland by March Thoroughbreds and owned by Michael Tabor, Misty For Me is a 2-year-old filly by Galileo out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Butterfly Cove. Butterfly Cove is a half-sister to champion Fasliyev (by Nureyev), and also hails from the immediate family of Menifee and Desert Wine.
