The $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Dixiana is an annual highlight of the fall Keeneland meet. The Grade 1 event, which was first held in 1984 to honor a visit by Queen Elizabeth II to the picturesque Kentucky track, often attracts several top-class Europe-based 3-year-old turf fillies to travel across the pond and compete against the best North America has to offer. This year is certainly no exception as Saturday’s QEII has drawn a stellar field of 12 plus one also-eligible.

1. Mission of Joy (20-1 morning-line odds): After winning four of five races from December to June, including two Grade 3 stakes, her form has fallen off in her two most recent starts, finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational and fourth in the Virginia Oaks, both as the post-time favorite. She’ll be without that designation in the QEII but if she can recover her springtime form she’s a threat to upset. Hall of Famer John Velazquez has started strong at the fall Keeneland meet.

JOCKEY: John Velazquez TRAINER: Graham Motion

2. Elusive Princess (3-1): She made her North American debut a successful one with a rallying, 3 ¼-length win in the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational back in early August after making her first seven starts in France, where she finished second in a Group 1 stakes and fifth in the Group 1 Prix de Diane-French Oaks in early summer. Flavien Prat was aboard for her Saratoga win and should have this French-bred filly rolling through the lane late. A top win candidate.

JOCKEY: Flavien Prat TRAINER: Arnaud Delacour

3. Safeen (30-1): She’s assembled a solid race record primarily on the Kentucky/Indiana circuit with a couple of stakes wins earlier this year but failed to fire at Kentucky Downs last out when eighth of 12 in the Dueling Grounds Oaks as the post-time favorite. A bounce-back effort Saturday probably won’t be good enough against this level of competition.

JOCKEY: Cristian Torres TRAINER: Eddie Kenneally

4. Mawj (2-1): Godolphin filly will be making her first start since winning the English One Thousand Guineas on May 7 at Newmarket in an upset over favored Tahiyra. That race is held at one mile on the straight, and all of her other starts have been in turf sprints plus a single one-turn mile allowance at Meydan (which she won impressively). Pedigree-wise, she’s by a sire who was honored as Australia’s champion sprinter, but she has plenty of stamina on her dam’s (mother’s) side, as she’s a half-sister to recently retired Eclipse Award champion turf horse Modern Games. It will be interesting to see how she handles two turns for the first time plus an extra furlong. Must be respected, but may be overbet.

JOCKEY: OIsin Murphy TRAINER: Saeed bin Suroor

5. Be Your Best (20-1): Enters on a six-race losing streak and it’s hard to see her breaking it Saturday. Ran a solid second to California’s top 3-year-old filly Anisette last out in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August. On the positive side, a mile and an eighth seems to suit her best, which could help her nab third or fourth against this bunch with the right trip.

JOCKEY: Ricardo Santana Jr. TRAINER: Horacio De Paz

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6. Lindy (6-1): Look for these morning-line odds to drop, perhaps by a lot, as this filly touts a résumé similar to Elusive Princess and as such is a top-tier win candidate. She shipped over from her native France in late summer after winning her first three races and then finishing second twice in three group stakes, including behind star filly Blue Rose Cen in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French One Thousand Guineas. In her first start on these shores, she won a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Kentucky Downs by a rallying 1 ¼ lengths. Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount and a repeat of that effort puts her right in the mix.

JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione TRAINER: Brendan Walsh

7. Sounds of Heaven (8-1): Wild card entrant Saturday will be making her first North American start after winning two of five in Europe and finishing third by a length behind aforementioned Tahiyra in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes back in June. All of her starts have been in one-mile races but her pedigree suggests she can handle an extra furlong.

JOCKEY: Shane Foley TRAINER: Jessica Harrington

8. Elounda Queen (10-1): Another first-time starter in North America, this filly has won four of nine races, all in France, and broke through in her most recent start with a head win in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey at Deauville in August. She’s faced lesser competition than the other QEII fillies who’ve raced in Europe, which explains her double-digit odds on the morning line. On the positive side, Luis Saez gets aboard for the first time, and he’s off to a strong start at Keeneland in his comeback from injury.

JOCKEY: Luis Saez TRAINER: Jean-Claude Rouget

9. Heavenly Sunday (30-1): Talented filly should set the early pace in the QEII based on her prior four starts, where she won the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes presented by Forcht Bank back in May on the front end and also led early in three other stakes that she couldn’t finish off. If Safeen and/or Prerequisite don’t keep her company, she could get brave heading into the homestretch, but even then her race record suggests 1 1/8 miles is a bit too far.

JOCKEY: Florent Geroux TRAINER: Brad Cox

10. Liguria (15-1): The first of two longshots from top U.S. turf trainer Chad Brown has traveled to several racetracks through seven career starts and she appears to have plateaued after winning three of her first five. She’s finished fifth and fourth in her two most recent starts in New York as the post-time favorite and a similar finish in this tough race appears to be her ceiling.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario TRAINER: Chad Brown

11. Prerequisite (20-1): Chad Brown trainee is an interesting longshot as her best three races (through five starts) have come at 1 1/8 miles (twice) and 1 ¼ miles. She won the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 Wonder Again Stakes in June after leading at every point of call and then nearly won the mile-and-a-quarter Grade 1 Belmont Oaks trying the same approach, finishing second by three-quarters of a length. Look for Irad Ortiz to position his mount alongside Heavenly Sunday early on and try to get the jump on the rest of the field entering the stretch.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr. TRAINER: Chad Brown

Papilio goes for the upset (Matt Wooley/Eclipse Sportswire)

12. Papilio (10-1): Consistent runner could represent the best chance for a U.S.-based horse to win the QEII, as she’s done very well in all six of her starts this year after relocating from Ireland where she won two of five starts in 2022. Winner of the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes back in April on this course, she exits a good third-place effort behind Elusive Princess in the Saratoga Oaks where she was carried extremely wide in the stretch but kept fighting. A better trip could help her spring the upset Saturday.

JOCKEY: Javier Castellano TRAINER: Mark Casse

13. Freydis the Red (also-eligible, 10-1): Woke up in a big way in her most recent start when taking the 1 5/16-mile Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs in September with a sustained stretch rally. She had not embarrassed herself in two prior stakes tries leading up to that race, either, with fifth- and third-place finishes. This exotically-bred filly (bred in France, Japanese sire, German dam) can run all day and will be a threat to spice up trifecta and/or superfecta tickets if she draws in.

JOCKEY: Brian Hernandez Jr. TRAINER: Ken McPeek

THE PICK: Elusive Princess

LIVE LONGSHOT: Papilio

SUPERFECTA: 2-6-12-1