McLaughlin will saddle Questing for the first time in an allowance test at Gulfstream Park
One of the toughest 3-year-old fillies around and ready to make their 2012 seasonal debut is the Kiaran McLaughlin trained, Questing, who had started her racing campaign last year in England, where she won her maiden stakes race at first asking before losing
by a head and a neck in a couple of Group 3 races there for trainer John Gosden.
Questing was close to winning her first stakes race twice, as she finished a close third in the Group 3 Prestige at Goodwood on turf, to winner Regal Realm over at seven furlongs.
It was a close race once again at Newbury, where she participated in the Group 3 Sakhee Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket, England. It was again a seven furlong sprint, but this time the margin of defeat was a neck to winner Alsindi, as Questing finished a
solid second.
In her fourth career start, the daughter of Hard Spun, out of mare Chercheuse by Seeking the Gold, Questing participated in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall at Churchill Downs. Stretched out in distance for the first time from seven furlongs
to 1 1/16 miles, Questing did well by finishing fifth to My Miss Aurelia.
Considering she had a tough trip in a field of 14, where she got shuffled back along the rail on the far turn, Questing fought her way through the traffic to earn herself a respectable finish in the toughest race of her career thus far.
Since then the 3-year-old filly has been training with trainer Kiaran McLaughlin at Palm Meadows Training Center.
She is expected to make her seasonal debut in an allowance/optional claimer on 14 March, 2012, with the purse money of $62,750. It should be a cake walk for Questing, who would be competing against first level optional $75,000 claimers.
Questing will be running for the first time for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, and the trainer will be using Gulfstream Park allowance race over at a mile on turf as a prep race for the all important Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at about 1 1/16 miles over Keeneland’s
synthetic surface on 7 April, 2012.
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