Miss Temple City Holds off Ironicus to Win G1 Shadwell Turf Mile

LEXINGTON, KY (Oct. 8, 2016) – The Club Racing, Allen Rosenblum and Sagamore Farm’s Miss Temple City held off a late charge from favored Ironicus to win the 31^st running of the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) by a head on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 28,101, the second-highest attendance for a Fall Stars Saturday in track history. All-sources wagering on the 10-race card reached $15,926,396 to surpass the previous record of $14,135,204 from Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007.

Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Edgar Prado, Miss Temple City became the first filly to win the Shadwell Turf Mile and joined Wise Dan as the only other horse to win the Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) and Shadwell Turf Mile in the same year.

The victory earned Miss Temple City a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

Sharing the spotlight Saturday afternoon was Teresa Viola Racing Stables’ Photo Call (IRE), who ended Tepin’s eight-race win streak with a front-running 2¾-length victory in the $400,000 First Lady (G1).

Also posting a Grade 1 victory was John Oxley’s Classic Empire, who captured the $500,000 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity for 2-year-olds.

Other stakes winners Saturday afternoon were W.S. Farish and David Mackie’s Irish Jasper in the $250,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) and Mongolian Stable’s Mongolian Saturday in the $150,000 Woodford (G3) Presented by Keeneland Select.

In the Shadwell Turf Mile, Miss Temple City raced second in the early going as longshot Pleuven (FR) led the field of 11 through fractions of :24.39, :49.18 and 1:13.47.

Miss Temple City took over at midstretch, shrugged off a couple of challenges to open a daylight margin and had enough left to withstand the late bid from Ironicus, comopleting the mile in 1:37.04.

For Prado, it was his third victory in the race with his previous wins coming with Landseer (GB) in 2002 and Perfect Soul (IRE) in 2003.

Miss Temple City is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Temple City out of the Artax mare Glittering Tax. The $600,000 winner’s check boosted her earnings to $1,213,038 with a record of 14-5-3-2.

Miss Temple City returned $17.40, $8.20 and $5.40. Ironicus, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $4.60 and $3 and finished a half-length in front of Tourist, who paid $4 to show under Jose Lezcano.

Mondialiste (IRE) finished another length back in fourth and was followed in order by Kasaqui (ARG), Pleuven, Ring Weekend, What a View, 2015 winner Grand Arch, Tower of Texas and Triple Threat (FR).

Quotes from the $1 Million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1)

Graham Motion (winning trainer of Miss Temple City)

“She’s the best filly I’ve ever trained. She’s spectacular. My frustration was over the summer when it seemed we got a little lost with her. She had some tough trips. I’m glad the crew talked me into running her here today. I think I would have chosen to go the other way (and run her in the Grade 1 First Lady two races earlier). But this was the right thing to do; we took a shot. She’s a very special filly. I think she’s been on form all summer. It’s just been frustrating that she hasn’t been able to show it on the race track.”

Edgar Prado (winning rider)

“I’ve studied her races over and over. Seems like the real key is just getting her to relax. There wasn’t much speed in the race and she was very comfortable most of the race. I saw that horse (fast-closing Ironicus) coming and I was glad the wire was there.”

Jose Ortiz (rider of runner-up Ironicus)

“No pace at all in the race – I think that was the key. My horse broke good but wasn’t able to get a good position on the outside to press the pace a little bit. When he switched to the right lead he really exploded. So I thought I had a chance. She just had to back up and she didn’t. At the wire I knew it was very close.”

Shug McGaughey (trainer of Ironicus)

“He ran a great race. Miss Temple City won here in the spring and she has a big affinity for this (turf course). (Ironicus) was never really where I thought he should be, but it was not the rider’s fault. That is just the way the race came up. There was no pace. I thought he lingered on his left lead but when he switched, here he came.”

Jose Lezcano (rider of third-place finisher Tourist)

“He stumbled a little bit at the break but after that I had a very good trip. I saved ground on the backside and let him breathe a little bit. The pace was kind of slow. I asked him at the quarter pole and he came running. He’s a very nice horse.”

Danny Tudhope (rider of fourth-place finisher Mondialiste [IRE])

“We were ready and steady. He ran a good race. No excuses today.”

Keeneland