Sentiero Italia

Sentiero Italia came out of nowhere—she was unraced at two—to become arguably the best 3-year-old filly on the grass in training in the fall of 2015 in the United States.

After a distant seventh-place finish in her career debut, Sentiero Italia won four of her next five starts. A half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Grade 1 winner Ashkal Way, she finished a solid fourth behind Lady Eli in her stakes debut in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes before a career-best performance in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes, in which she powered clear in the stretch to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

She subsequently confirmed her elite ability with another convincing victory in the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes on Sept. 12 at Belmont Park. She closed out her season with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes and a fourth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Sentiero Italia won her 2016 debut in July at Saratoga before finishing third in the Grade 2 Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa Stakes. She followed with a runner-up finish to Lady Eli in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes on the Oct. 8 Super Saturday card at Belmont Park.