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Lady proves a champ

3 minute read

Osaila and Frankie Dettori finished a creditable third as Lady Eli produced a dazzling performance to claim the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Sunset Glow was soon to the lead in a bid to give trainer Wesley Ward a second success on the card after the Dettori-ridden Hootenanny, but when she momentarily came off the rail in the straight, Lady Eli, who had sat in a pocket just off the leaders, rocketed through.

The race was effectively over from there as the unbeaten Chad Brown-trained runner put daylight between herself and the field.

Richard Hannon's Osaila had raced in mid-division and stayed on well, while there a tremendous effort from Jamie Osborne's Prize Exhibit in flying home for fourth, boosting the hopes of stablemate Toast Of New York in the Classic on Saturday.

Aidan O'Brien's Qualify could never quite get into a challenging position.

Winning rider Irad Ortiz said: "From the first time, the trainer said believe in her, she is a nice filly.

"I had a speed horse in front of me, I wanted to get out of there but I couldn't so I found a hole and I went for it, I believe in her.

"I went for her early and she kept going."

Brown said: "This filly is just exceptional. The first time she breezed on the turf we knew she was something special.

"I think she is the best two-year-old filly in the country bar none."

Dettori said of Osaila: "She came home really good, on her first run over a sharp track."

Harry Herbert for Osaila's owners Al Shaqab Racing, said: "She ran a terrific race at the end of a busy season. Frankie said she just had a little bit of trouble during the race, but came home well."

Prize Exhibit's rider Jamie Spencer said: "I rode her to run well, she was the outsider of the field. Jamie told me to drop her in and that's what I did."