Betting With, and Against, Laurelin in the Queen Elizabeth II

An outstanding group of nine three-year-old fillies will go 1 1/8 miles over the Keeneland turf in Saturday’s $800,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. (G1). The one to beat in the historic affair is the unblemished #2 Laurelin (5-2) for conditioner Graham Motion. 

Laurelin – With

• $5 trifecta key 2 with 1,7,9 ($30)
• $1 trifecta 2 with 1,7,9 with all ($21)

Laurelin – Against

• $12 win and place #1 Lush Lips ($24)
• $2 trifecta 1,2 with 1,2,7,9 with 1,2,7,9 ($24) 

By Zarak, the Irish-bred lass made a winning debut on the Aqueduct turf as a juvenile and capped her brief two-year-old season with a triumph in the Tepin S. on the same oval. She has captured a trio of black-type races in succession in 2025, highlighted by an impressive win in the Saratoga Oaks (G2) on Aug. 9. 

Laurelin has handled all kinds of surfaces from firm to yielding, while winning from eight furlongs to 1 3/16 miles. She possesses the positional speed not to be left with too much to do in the stretch, and her best effort could be good enough to take down this deep cast with Kendrick Carmouche retaining the ride. 

#1 Lush Lips (5-1) has been on a fine run of form since joining conditioner Brendan Walsh in November. The European import has checked in first or second in each of her six appearances for the outfit, with a tally in the Tepin S. at Churchill two back and a runner-up result in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) last out as her top two results. She has learned to relax early and kick for home late, having been headstrong earlier in her career. The daughter of Ten Sovereigns will be a major force with her best under Gaffalione. 

Both of the contenders from the Brad Cox barn also fit in the affair. Grade 3 vixen #7 Destino d’Oro (8-1) didn’t fire her best shot at Kentucky Downs last time out, but the Kentucky-bred was sent postward as the favorite in the tilt and is surely eligible to improve. She has good value with Irad taking the reins. 

Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) heroine #9 Fionn (3-1) has reeled off a trio of graded wins in succession for Cox and will make her second local appearance in the feature. The Twirling Candy filly possesses a strong turn of foot and will be arriving late with Flavien Prat on board.