Cox counters favored Laurelin with Fionn and Destino d'Oro in Queen Elizabeth II

Saturday’s lone Grade 1 across the country takes place at Keeneland, nine 3-year-old fillies are set to go 1 1/8 miles on turf in the $800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes. The undefeated Laurelin is the 5-2 morning-line favorite over multiple graded-stakes winner Fionn. 

Trained by Graham Motion, Laurelin scored her first graded stakes victory last out in the Grade 2 Saratoga Oaks. Much like her four previous races, Laurelin sat close to the pace in that contest, pulling away late by 1 3/4 lengths. 

“It’s very hard to go 5 for 5 and I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse do that before,” Motion told Saratoga publicity following the race. “A lot of things have to go right, and they have to be very good. I feel like we’ve done right by her and tried to go step-by-step and this was a logical time to go into a graded race.

Kendrick Carmouche was aboard for that victory and gets back aboard Saturday from post 2.

Laurelin will get her stiffest test yet from Fionn, who has rattled off three straight wins, all in graded stakes. To begin her streak, Fionn narrowly won the Grade 3 Regret at Churchill Downs. Next out, she won the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga by an even more narrow margin. Last out at Kentucky Downs, Fionn scored a half-length win in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. In those three races, Fionn was not favored. 

With a victory Saturday, Fionn would push her earnings over $2 million, a remarkable feat in just nine races and for owners that have just one other horse. Owners George Massina and Michael Lee bought Fionn for just $75,000 in 2023. 

“For a two-horse stable like Mike and I have, we have two fillies here and won both races ($2 million stakes),” Messina told track publicity after the Dueling Grounds Oaks win. “The odds have got to be astronomical. We know we’re blessed. We know it doesn’t happen often. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal.”

Messina was referring to Stellify, who won the Ladies Turf at Kentucky Downs.

Fionn is trained by Brad Cox, who also entered Destino d’Oro in the QEII. Destino d’Oro, who had ranked as Cox’s top filly, was favored in the Dueling Grounds Oaks, but faded to sixth. Prior to that, she won the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Ellis Park. Flavien Prat rides Fionn from post 9, while Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount aboard Destino d’Oro from post 7. 

Opulent Restraint, trained by Chad Brown, has finished behind Laurelin or Fionn in her last three starts. She was second by a neck three starts ago to Laurelin in the Memories of Silver, then third by less than a length to Fionn in the Belmont Oaks, and last out, was second to Laurelin in the Saratoga Oaks. Joel Rosario rides from post 5 at 4-1 on the morning line. 

Lush Lips nearly took down a Grade 1 last out, when trainer Brendan Walsh shipped her West for the Del Mar Oaks. Lush Lips came with a furious run but fell a half-length short. Lush Lips began her career in Europe with trainer Donacha O’Brien and after three starts, was transferred to Walsh. Since then, she hasn’t finished worse than second. Tyler Gaffalione rides from the rail at 5-1.

The biggest question mark comes from European shipper Simmering, who hasn’t won since last year but has been battling with some of Europe’s top fillies. Earlier this year, Simmering finished behind Desert Flower in the English 1000 Guineas and Lake Victoria in the Irish 1000 Guineas. Trainer Ollie Sangster has Luis Saez to ride from post 3. 

Daisy Flyer, Candy Quest, and Will Then round out the field as longshots but all have races that make them competitive.

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