And the Next F & M Turf Contender is...
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Super Saturday is here and now that it's post-time on the East Coast, thousands of fans are waiting anxiously to see if their favorite horses meet the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" challenge. One of my favorite BC races is the Filly and Mare Turf. Today's Flower Bowl Invitational (GI) at Belmont another name to the program for that race.
Who do I think will rise to the Breeders' Cup Challenge on the turf today in the Flower Bowl to win entry in next month's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf race? With so many accomplished competitors in the field, it’s a tough
choice for me. Here’s what the fields look like:
The Flower Bowl Invitational G1 / $600,000
1 ¼ Miles / Fillies & Mares / 3yo and Up
BELMONT / Race 8 / Post 3:38 pm
|
PP
|
HORSE
|
JOCKEY
|
TRAINER
|
EQUIP.
|
MED.
|
|
1
|
Dream Peace (IRE)
ML: 5-2 |
J. Leparoux
119 Lbs |
C. Brown
|
-
|
L
|
|
2
|
Hessonite
ML: 20-1 |
J. Lezcano
119 Lbs |
D. Donk
|
-
|
L
|
|
3
|
Hit It Rich
ML: 8-1 |
J. Castellano
119 Lbs |
C. McGaughey III
|
-
|
L
|
|
4
|
I'm A Dreamer (IRE)
ML: 3-1 |
H. Turner
123 Lbs |
D. Simcock
|
-
|
L
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
Bizzy Caroline
ML: 20-1 |
D. Cohen
119 Lbs |
K. McPeek
|
-
|
L
|
|
7
|
Zagora (FR)
ML: 7-2 |
R. Dominguez
121 Lbs |
C. Brown
|
-
|
L
|
|
8
|
Nahrain (GB)
ML: 5-1 |
J. Velazquez
121 Lbs |
R. Varian
|
-
|
L
|
|
9
|
Halo Dolly
ML: 12-1 |
J. Rosario
121 Lbs |
J. Hollendorfer
|
-
|
L
|
I’ve just needed to adjust my picks as I’ve been informed of Starformer’s
scratch… So…here are my top three picks for the race. Looking at the field of
now eight contenders, I’m selecting a boxed trio of morning line long shot, New
York–bred Hessonite, Hit it Rich, and Irish import, I’m a Dreamer.
The way I see it, today’s yielding Inner Turf course at Belmont will
make Hessonite feel right at home. Having won a total of four times on the
inner turf (twice at Belmont and twice at Saratoga), she seems to be
comfortable on the tighter inside course. Additionally, of those four wins, three
of them were achieved on yielding turf such as she will encounter today. While
this is change of company, I like a long shot.
McGaughey-trained Hit it Rich is similarly experienced at Belmont, but seems to prefer a firmer turf.
Jockey Javier Castellano, who has been her mount all year, will be in the irons
again and they haven’t finished out of the money yet. Together they have made
it to the winner’s circle together twice, and although those wins have come at
slightly longer distances, I think we can expect a similar effort from the pair
again today.
Third in my top three
is the Irish mare, I’m a Dreamer. Not surprisingly, I like a European horse on
the turf. And while I also like British entry Nahrain, her second place finish in last year's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs was her last U.S. start. Conversely, I'm a Dreamer, who has finished in the money in three of her last four
starts, most recently she comes into the Flower Bowl off her win in the Beverly
D. this summer at Arlington Park. While she might not like the tighter turns
she’ll experience today, I like her for my top three.
You can wish me luck
on my picks, but when it comes to the horses I’ve taken to wishing them all “Safe
Travels” instead!
Who do you like in today’s Flower Bowl? Chime in! I’ll be tweeting
throughout this Super Saturday @memephipps and I’ll be back to post later today
about the other Filly & Mare Turf BC Challenge race happening on the West
Coast—the Rodeo Drive Stakes at Santa Anita.
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