Brown Duo of Shantisara (IRE), Technical Analysis (IRE) Tops Field of 10 for Saturday’s QE II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana

By Amy Owens —-

Brown Duo of Shantisara (IRE), Technical Analysis (IRE) Tops Field of 10
for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Dixiana

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 13, 2021) – Klaravich Stables’ two-time graded stakes winner Technical Analysis (IRE) and Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert LaPenta’s Shantisara (IRE) headline a field of 10 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 38th running of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana.

The 1 1/8-mile grass test will go as the eighth race on Saturday’s 10-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.

Chad Brown, who has saddled three winners of this race to match the feat of Jimmy Toner and John Veitch, trains both Technical Analysis and Shantisara.

A winner of four of six career starts, Technical Analysis enters Saturday’s race off victories in the Lake Placid (G2) and Lake George (G3) at Saratoga. Technical Analysis will leave from post two and be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

Shantisara has won two of three starts since coming to North America, recording victories in the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington and the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Belmont Park. Flavien Prat has the mount on Shantisara, who will exit post three.

Headlining the European contingent Saturday is Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith’s Empress Josephine (IRE) for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Empress Josephine is following in a trail blazed 10 years ago by Together (IRE) for the same connections. Together ran second in the First Lady (G1) and a week later closed her career with a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.

Empress Josephine finished third in Saturday’s First Lady under John Velazquez, who retains the mount and will break from post position four.

Velazquez has won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup a record five times beginning in 1995 with Perfect Arc. His other winners are Alwajeeha (2008), Crown Queen (2014), Time and Motion (2016) and Cambier Parc (2019).

Also coming from Europe is James Wigan’s Cloudy Dawn (IRE), winner of the Prix de Lieurey (G3) at Deauville, and Katsumi Yoshida’s Nicest (IRE), most recently third in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks (G1). Brian Hernandez Jr. rides Cloudy Dawn from post nine. Julien Leparoux will be aboard Nicest from post five.

The field for the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup, with riders from the inside, is: Burning Ambition (Florent Geroux), Technical Analysis (IRE) (Ortiz), Shantisara (IRE) (Prat), Empress Josephine (IRE) (Velazquez), Nicest (IRE) (Leparoux), Queen Goddess (Tyler Gaffalione), Lady Speightspeare (Emma-Jayne Wilson), Flippant (Rafael Bejarano), Cloudy Dawn (IRE) (Hernandez Jr.), Closing Remarks (Umberto Rispoli). All starters will carry 121 pounds.

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Since its first race meet began 85 years ago on Oct. 15, 1936, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. The world’s largest Thoroughbred auction house, Keeneland conducts four sales a year, in January, April, September and November, and presents online auctions through the Keeneland Digital Sales Ring. Graduates of Keeneland sales dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in 2015 and 2020 and is holding the event again on Nov. 4-5, 2022. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a privately held company with a not-for-profit mission that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses and millions of dollars donated in support of horse industry initiatives and charitable contributions for education, research, and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky. Keeneland also maintains the Keeneland Library, a world-renowned public research institution with the mission of preserving information about the Thoroughbred industry. To learn more, visit Keeneland.com.

For more information contact Amy Gregory at 859 361-3490 or Amy Owens at 859 421-2566