The Club Racing, Allen Rosenblum, and Sagamore Farm's Miss Temple City earned her second grade I victory against males Oct. 8 in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland.
Back at the Lexington racetrack April 15, the 4-year-old Temple City filly also defeated males in the Makers' 46 Mile (gr. IT), but failed to reach the winner's circle against her own gender in three following starts.
On Saturday, Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado found the winning formula with a stalking trip behind early front-runner Pleuven, and Miss Temple City took command to hold off a furious late rally by Ironicus under jockey Jose Ortiz to win by a head.
"I've studied her races over and over," Prado said. "It seems like the real key is just getting her to relax. There wasn't much speed in the race and she was very comfortable most of the race. I saw that horse (fast-closing Ironicus) coming and I was glad the wire was there."
Fourstardave (gr. IT) winner Tourist came in another half-length back in third, while Arlington Million (gr. IT) victor Mondialiste was fourth.
Trained by Graham Motion, Miss Temple City finished of the mile in 1:37.09 on firm turf. Bred in Kentucky by Bobfeld Bloodstock, she improved her record to 5-3-2 from 14 starts for earnings of $1,213,038. She paid $17.40, $8.20, and $5.40 at odds of 7-1, and with the victory earned an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" program.
"She's the best filly I've ever trained. She's spectacular," said Motion, who added the Mile is "definitely on the table" for Miss Temple City. "My frustration was over the summer when it seemed we got a little lost with her. She had some tough trips. I'm glad the crew talked me into running her here today. I think I would have chosen to go the other way (and run against her division in the grade I First Lady). But this was the right thing to do; we took a shot. She's a very special filly."
Pleuven set easy opening fractions of :24.39, :49.18, and 1:13.47, but gave way late. She wound up sixth, after Kasaqui, followed by Ring Weekend, What a View, Grand Arch, Tower of Texas, and Triple Threat.
"He ran a great race," trainer Shug McGaughey said of Ironicus. "Miss Temple City won here in the spring and she has a big affinity for this (course). (Ironicus) was never really where I thought he should be, but it was not the rider's fault. That is just the way the race came up. There was no pace. I thought he lingered on his left lead but when he switched, here he came."
"No pace at all in the race—I think that was the key," said Ortiz. "My horse broke good but wasn't able to get a good position on the outside to press the pace a little bit. When he switched to the right lead he really exploded. So I thought I had a chance. She just had to back up, but she didn't."