Scylla triumphant in Fleur De Lis

Juddmonte filly Scylla stepped up to take the Gr.2 Fleur De Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday (29th June) for her second Graded win.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 30th June 2024:

Just a week after her younger brother Batten Down took the Gr.3 Ohio Derby, TDN Rising Star Scylla kept the family's good fortune going with a strong win in the Gr.2 Fasig-Tipton Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs Saturday. The 4-5 favourite stutter-stepped slightly coming out of the gate and was at the tail of the field behind fractions of :24.07 and :48.83. Still last into the far turn, the bay filly made rapid progress while five wide approaching the stretch. She drifted in slightly in upper stretch, bumping with Xigera and Occult to her inside, before straightening out and holding Shotgun Hottie off to the wire. After an inquiry and objection into the jostling in upper stretch, no change was made to the order of finish.

"This was the first start she went a mile-and-an-eighth and I thought she handled it very well to get the longer distance," said winning jockey Javier Castellano. "She's been one who's kept improving in each of her starts to get to the next level."

Winning trainer Bill Mott's chief Kentucky assistant Kenny McCarthy added: "Coming into this race, we knew she'd have to run the best race of her career. There were some very nice horses in this field, as to be expected in a Grade 2. She handled the longer distance test very well. She's been great to have in our barn and keeps showing she can improve and step up to the next level of competition. I'm sure even bigger races are on the horizon."

Scylla, who opened her career with back-to-back wins last year, was third while making her stakes debut in the Gr.3 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland in April. She romped home a seven-length winner of a Churchill optional claimer on the Derby undercard and was coming off a three and a quarter-length victory in the Gr.3 Shawnee Stakes on 1st June.

"She's a beautifully bred filly and getting better every time she runs," said Garrett O'Rourke, General Manager for Juddmonte Farms USA. "It's extra special with her dam being a champion in her own right and producing talented runners here for us. I'm not sure where we'll head next, but we're extremely pleased seeing her win again."