Champagne Room sparkles in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Nov 07, 2016 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Champagne Room was sent off the second longest shot on the board at 33-1 in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park, but ran like a favorite when triumphing by three parts of a length under jockey Mario Gutierrez.

Champagne Room ran just outside and behind leader Noted and Quoted on the backstretch as that one set splits of :23.77, :48.19 and 1:13.01. She ranged up to run even rounding the turn and the duo hit the lane together.

Champagne Room motored on past Noted and Quoted, opening up a clear advantage, but Valadorna was coming fast down the center of the track.

Valadorna had raced near the rear while saving ground on the rail and was forced about seven wide rounding the far turn. She came flying down the center of the stretch but just couldn’t catch Champagne Room, who completed 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt in 1:45.12.

Campaigned by Ciaglia, Exline-Border, Gulliver Racing, R. Christensen, D. Legan and S. Alesia, Champagne Room paid $69.20 for her upset victory. The Broken Vow filly earned just her second career win for trainer Peter Eurton, having broken her maiden second time out in the Sorrento Stakes (G2) at Del Mar on August 6.

The bay lass finished third in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and fourth in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) following her Sorrento score. She exited the Juvenile Fillies with a 5-2-1-1 career mark and has now banked $1,286,600 in earnings.

Champagne Room also exited the race with 21 points toward a starting berth in next year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1). She brought one point into the Juvenile Fillies thanks to her Chandelier fourth and presently tops the Oaks Leaderboard.

Valadorna finished second in the Juvenile Fillies, easily holding 4-1 favorite American Gal to third by 3 1/4 lengths, but only resides in sixth on the Oaks leaderboard. She actually made her debut on the list thanks to the eight points awarded to the Juvenile Fillies runner-up.

American Gal is one spot below her with four points while Daddys Lil Darling was awarded two points for finishing fourth in the Juvenile Fillies. She previously earned 14 points for winning the Pocahontas Stakes (G2) and running second in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and is comfortably ensconced in second on the Oaks Leaderboard with 16 points.