Sentiero Italia sails by Miss Temple City in Lake Placid

While some may regard Miss Temple City as the best U.S. turf filly behind sidelined Lady Eli, the bettors didn’t see it that way on Friday in the $294,000 Lake Placid S. (G2) at Saratoga.

The Temple City filly found herself playing second fiddle once again, this time to Sentiero Italia, who was bet down to 8-5 favoritism over Miss Temple City’s 3-1 odds.

Turns out the bettors had it right on this occasion.

Jockey Joel Rosario settled Sentiero Italia into fourth behind the front-running trio of Heath, Consumer Credit and Miss Temple City. Heath set the pace of :25.10, :49.25 and 1:12.54, with the other two keeping in close contact on the outside.

Consumer Credit and Miss Temple City ranged up to run in tandem with Heath entering the second turn, but Miss Temple City inched her way clear of that duo upon hitting the stretch.

Sentiero Italia had begun her move at the same time and found herself fanned widest of all while four deep on the turn. The Medaglia d’Oro miss ran down Miss Temple City and was 1 1/4 lengths clear on the wire while finishing 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf in 1:49.25.

Sentiero Italia earned her first stakes victory in just her second try against black-type rivals. The Kiaran McLaughlin pupil dropped her debut at Gulfstream Park in March but returned to take her next pair at Aqueduct and Belmont Park in easy fashion. Last out, she showed up in the July 5 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) and finished a dead-heat fourth.

Sentiero Italia photo courtesy of NYRA/Adam Mooshian/Adam Coglianese Photography