How to bet With, and Against, Mission of Joy in the Regret Stakes

A total of six sophomore fillies will go postward in the $225,000 Regret S. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. One of six black-type races on the card, the nine-furlong turf affair attracted a strong group including morning-line choice #3 Mission of Joy (9-5) from the barn of Graham Motion. This talented miss continues to improve and will be a difficult foe with another move in the right direction.

Mission of Joy graduated in easy fashion in December in her turf debut at Tampa Bay Downs when striding home a convincing four-length heroine over maiden special weight foes. A subsequent allowance victress in her next assignment, the daughter of Kitten’s Joy made her stakes debut in the Florida Oaks (G3) on March 11 and grabbed the lead late to win by a neck and post her first graded triumph.

The chestnut three-year-old came off the short layoff to contest the deep Edgewood S. (G2) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Day and missed by a length while crossing the wire in third. The Ontario-bred posted a useful five furlongs on the Keeneland turf in the interim, and her tactical running style could give her an edge on the deeper closing types in the tilt. Tyler Gaffalione inherits the mount.

Second-choice #5 Papilio (2-1), who was victorious in the Appalachian S. (G2) two back, was a head shy of the morning-line choice while fourth in the Edgewood last time out. By Starspangledbanner, the Irish-bred has improved in each of her trio of stateside attempts to date and seems poised for a big effort in her second assignment beneath the Twin Spires. Trained by Mark Casse, the bay filly owns a fine turn of foot and will be tough to deny with another move forward under the guidance of Javier Castellano.

#1 Miss Ridler (6-1) lacks the credentials of her major foes in this endeavor, but the Eddie Kenneally trainee is two-for-two in her career and also looks to be the controlling speed in the contest. The bay daughter of Dialed In looked the part on the green when going gate-to-wire en route to a fine allowance triumph in her most recent showing. This Green Lantern homebred will have to get faster to upset this cast, but the sophomore could get brave if she is left alone up top for too long at a nice price. Luis Saez retaining the mount is an obvious plus as well.

Mission of Joy – With

• $32 exacta: 3 with 5 ($32)
• $8 exacta: 3 with 1 ($8)

Mission of Joy – Against

• $4 trifecta: 5 with 1,3 with all ($32)
• $8 trifecta: 5 with 3 with 1 ($8)