Tempted S. romped Maedean (Tapit) headlines a full field of juvenile fillies in Saturday's GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct. Earning an 82 Beyer Speed Figure for her second-out graduation at Belmont Oct. 5, the $450,000 KEESEP buy romped by 5 1/2 lengths in this venue's one-mile Tempted S. Nov. 1.
“She's doing excellent. I would think she would be well regarded,” trainer Mark Hennig said. “She's going to appreciate the stretch out. It helps to get that kind of race in the bank moving forward because you get a few [GI Kentucky Oaks] points, but also getting a good bottom in a horse.”
Her biggest threat is likely to come from another Tapit filly in Godolphin homebred Lake Avenue. Second on debut at Belmont Oct. 6, the chestnut romped by 12 3/4 lengths going seven panels here last time Nov. 14.
Shug McGaughey saddles a strong contender in Alandra (Blame). A debut winner at Saratoga Sept. 1, she checked in third behind divisional leader British Idiom (Flashback) in Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 4.
“She's proven going two turns,” said McGaughey. “I think she'll run that far and I think she needed to run again after she ran at Keeneland. She was a bit green and I told Helen that she needed to run again and then we'll give her a bit of a break and bring her back at Gulfstream and hopefully have a good 3-year-old campaign.”
Ten Strike Racing's Critical Value (Bodemeister) makes her first start in open company here. Missing by a nose on debut against fellow Empire-breds Aug. 7 at the Spa, the bay scored a decisive victory in another Saratoga state-bred event next out Aug. 29. She followed suit with a 5 1/2-length romp in the Maid of the Mist S. on Empire Showcase Day at Belmont Oct. 19.
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