Hot Cha Cha scored a mild upset in the $500,000, Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Saturday at Keeneland to give owner Nelson McMakin, trainer Phil Sims and jockey James Graham the biggest wins of their careers.

 

Graham sent the homebred daughter of Cactus Ridge through a large opening along the rail at the top of the stretch and she pulled away to a 4 ½-length victory in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.

 

“I pulled the trigger a little sooner than I wanted to, but if I didn’t the hole would’ve closed and I’d have never got through,” said Graham, who was winning his first Grade 1 race.  “When I did get through, she exploded all the way to the wire.”

 

Left in her wake was heavily favored Gozzip Girl, the American Oaks (G1) winner who finished six lengths behind the winner in third place.

 

“She was in perfect position down the backside,” said trainer Tom Albertrani.  (Jockey) Kent (Desormeaux) said when he pushed the button to go on she just didn’t have her closing kick.”

 

Shared Account, the Lake Placid Stakes (G2) winner at Saratoga, finished second, 1 ½ lengths in front of Gozzip Girl.  Miss World was fourth followed, in order, by Lady Shakespeare, Hameildaeme (GB) and Blind Date. 

 

Hot Cha Cha ran the distance on a “soft” course in 1:53.09 as the fourth choice in the wagering.  She improved her record to five wins in 11 starts and increased her earnings to $585,566. 

 

The winner paid $19.

 

In the supporting feature, Edgar Prado picked up the mount aboard El Brujo when Robby Albarado was injured earlier in the day and rode the son of Candy Ride (ARG) to a 1 ¼-length win in the $150,000, Grade 3 Perryville Stakes presented by Budweiser Select.

 

Prado found an opening between Warrior’s Reward and Conchacer in the stretch and sent El Brujo through it for his sixth win in 13 career starts.  He earned $90,000 for Jeff Begg’s Windways Farm.

 

“I was just waiting, biding my time, and luckily a hole opened up and he shot through there,” said Prado, who was named by trainer Malcolm Pierce to ride El Brujo only minutes before the race.

 

Albarado suffered contusions to the face in the sixth race when his mount, My Baby Baby, stumbled at the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf event, unseating his jockey.  Albarado was sent to the University of Kentucky Medical Center for

x-rays.

 

Not for Silver finished second, a nose in front of third-place Conchacer.  It was another nose back to fourth-place Evolutionist in the field of seven 3-year-olds.  Time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:25.95.

 

The winner paid $7.20 as the second choice.