Blue Prize Kicks of 2019 in La Troienne

[Wandering Eyes]

Merriebelle Stable’s Blue Prize (Arg) (Pure Prize) opens her 2019 season in the GI La Troienne S. at Churchill Downs. The 6-year-old mare has hit the board in five of six starts over the Churchill course and that lone off-the-board finish came in her most recent start when she finished fourth behind Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She won last year’s GIII Fleur de Lis S. and GIII Locust Grove S. in Louisville and secured her first top-level success with a 3/4-length victory in the GI Spinster S. at Keeneland.

Willis Horton’s Awe Emma (War Front) will look to make a big jump in class in the La Troienne. The $2-million Keeneland November weanling purchase was uninspiring in two starts in Kentucky last summer, but won three straight in authoritative style at Oaklawn Park. After breaking her maiden by 9 1/4 lengths in Hot Springs Feb. 3, she added optional-claiming wins Mar. 7 and Apr. 6. Both of those scores came at the La Troienne’s 1 1/16-mile distance.

Trainer Danny Gargan, who saddles Tax (Arch) in Saturday’s GI Kentucky Derby, sends the ultra-consistent Divine Miss Gray (Divine Park) postward in the La Troienne. The 5-year-old mare shipped west last fall to win Churchill’s Nov. 3 GII Chilukki S. and finish second in the GII Falls City H. In her lone 2019 appearance to date, the chestnut was a front-running three-length winner of the Mar. 10 Heavenly Prize S. at Aqueduct.

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