Normandy Farm homebred Daddys Lil Darling is set to take on a field of 10 other 3-year-old fillies in the $200,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs, where she has finished first or second in three graded stakes including the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Daddys Lil Darling is coming off a second-place finish in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Lane's End (G1T) at Keeneland behind La Coronel. One race prior, the Scat Daddy filly set a course record for 1 5/16 miles on the turf in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs.
After winning the Pocahontas Stakes (G2) at Churchill as a 2-year-old, Daddys Lil Darling placed second in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, then traveled to Santa Anita Park where she ran fourth in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Earlier this year, Daddys Little Darling was second in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) and the Kentucky Oaks.
Upon returning from a trip overseas to Epsom Downs, which resulted in a late scratch from the Investec Oaks (G1), Daddys Lil Darling had mediocre efforts in the July 8 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T), where she finished fourth on the turf, and the July 23 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), where she came in fifth on dirt. Redemption came in the Sept. 10 Dueling Grounds Oaks.
Run at the same distance as the Mrs. Revere, the first four finishers of the 1 1/16-mile Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T) Oct. 20, return in Friday's race, led by the 1 1/2-length winner Lovely Bernadette.
The Wilburn filly, trained by James DiVito for James Miller, has stepped up her game in the second half of 2017. After finishing 13th in the Eight Belles Stakes Presented by Kentucky Trailer (G2T), Lovely Bernadette then won or placed in her next five starts, capped by victories in the Indiana Grand Stakes and Valley View.
Runner-up Journey Home, a War Front filly, won the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park in June before finishing eighth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational and then second in the Aug. 12 Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse. She will be joined by stablemate Westit for trainer Graham Motion.
I'm Betty G won the Pearl Necklace Stakes at Laurel Park July 15 in gate-to-wire fashion and added placings in two other stakes before finishing third in the Valley View for trainer Mike Maker. The Into Mischief filly recently breezed four furlongs in :48 2/5 over the Churchill training track to be second of 25 working that distance Nov. 17.
Fault will attempt to rebound from a fourth-place finish in the Valley View, and draws the rail. Claimed for $50,000 in May by trainer Michelle Lovell, the daughter of Blame finished third in the Sands Point Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park Sept. 16.
Churchill Downs, Friday, November 24, 2017, Race 9Entries: Mrs. Revere S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Fault (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Michelle Lovell 6/1 2 2Marina's Legacy (IN) Jon Kenton Court 118 Aaron M. West 50/1 3 3Westit (GB) John R. Velazquez 118 H. Graham Motion 10/1 4 4Lovely Bernadette (KY) Florent Geroux 118 James P. DiVito 4/1 5 5Oh So Terrible (KY) Channing Hill 118 Bradley S. Ross 50/1 6 6Proud Reunion (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Thomas F. Proctor 15/1 7 7Tamit (IRE) Julien R. Leparoux 118 Mark E. Casse 12/1 8 8Journey Home (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 H. Graham Motion 5/1 9 9Daddys Lil Darling (KY) Robby Albarado 118 Kenneth G. McPeek 7/5 10 10I'm Betty G (MD) Joel Rosario 118 Michael J. Maker 10/1 11 11Sensitive (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Brad H. Cox 20/1
