Coolmore and Bridlewood Farm's Moonshine Memories (Malibu Moon) looked well on her way to a divisional championship after back-to-back Grade I wins last September, but a disappointing seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies put a stop to that, and the 'TDN Rising Star' will look to make a mark for the first time as a sophomore as the favorite in Saturday's GII Lexus Raven Run S. at Keeneland.
Taking the GI Del Mar Debutante wire-to-wire in her second career start, the $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy stretched out to two turns with alacrity in taking the GI Chandelier S. four weeks later at Santa Anita. Setting the pace before retreating in the Breeders' Cup, the bay finished second in the Angel's Flight S. in her seasonal debut May 12 and was no match for division leader Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) when fourth in the GI Acorn S. June 9 at Belmont. Rebounding some with a narrow allowance tally July 19 at Del Mar, she was last seen running a troubled third in the GII Prioress S. Sept. 2 at Saratoga.
The third and fourth finishers from the GI Longines Test S. resurface here in Dawn and Ike Thrash's Kelly's Humor (Midnight Lute) and Alter Moon (Alternation), respectively. The former finished a good second at 11-1 in the local GIII Beaumont S. Apr. 8 before running eighth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, second in a Churchill allowance and third in the GIII Indiana Oaks. Rallying well from off the pace at Saratoga, the dark bay will likely need some hitting up front to set her up for a victory. Alter Moon sold to Peter Brant for $675,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Horses of Racing Age Sale in July off of a five-length score in the Azalea S. at Gulfstream, but she made no serious impact when running evenly to complete the superfecta in the Test.
Novogratz Racing Stables' Amy's Challenge (Artie Schiller) is an interesting player. A winner of three straight to start her career, the $20,000 Fasig-Tipton October buy ran off on the lead before settling for second in the GIII Honeybee S. and GIII Fantasy S. earlier this year at Oaklawn. Dueled into a last-place run in the GII Eight Belles S. next out May 4, she was most recently seen comfortably annexing an optional claimer on the Canterbury turf Aug. 8 and could get brave if able to clear from her rail draw here.
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