Top 10 Breeders' Cup Distaff Contenders
With just 6 weeks until the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park, it is time to separate the contenders from the pretenders. Here is a look at the top 10 runners for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
#10-Belle Gallantey comes off a sub-par performance when 6th in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) while facing many of the division’s leaders. If she can recapture the form that lead her to upset Princess of Sylmar in the Delaware Handicap (G1), Belle Gallantey could grab a piece of the Breeders’ Cup pie.
#9-Stanwyck, a half sister to Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, hails from the same connections that graced the racing world with Zenyatta. Stanwyck has been knocking on the door all year, but unable to find the winner’s circle in six starts this year. Stanwyck has never been off the board in three starts at Santa Anita, and could upset the apple cart if she gets a strong pace to run at.
#8-Fiftyshadesofhay represents the powerful Pegram/Baffert duo, and bested Stanwyck last out when second in the Personal Ensign at Saratoga. Based in California, expect Fiftyshadesofhay to make her next start in the Zenyatta Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita on 9/27.
#7-Let Faith Arise has traded punches with the division’s elite all year. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee was stellar when taking the Santa Margarita (G1) over the same track and distance as the Distaff last March. She has been off the work tab for awhile, so no determination has been made if she will have a prep race, go straight to the Distaff, or miss the Distaff entirely.
#6-Antipathy is coming of a fourth place finish in last month’s Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga. Prior to that the Godolphin home bred took the Shuvee stakes (G3) and was a close third behind Princess of Sylmar and Close Hatches in the Ogden Phipps Handicap (G1) on the Belmont Stakes undercard. Expect to see the three-year-old daughter make her next start in the Beldame Stakes (G1) on Sept. 27th.
#5-Princess of Sylmar has only reached the winner’s circle once in 2014, and has had excuses in her last two defeats. In the Delaware Handicap, she was behind a dawdling pace and was unable to make up any ground in the stretch. She was a dull fifth in her last start (Personal Ensign Handicap), but it was later discovered an electrolyte imbalance led to her lackluster effort. The Princess appears to be on track to make her next start in the Beldame before traveling out to Santa Anita to try the Breeders’ Cup once more before heading off to motherhood.
#4-Iotapa is a former maiden claimer that has shot to the top of the West Coast Distaff division with back-to-back grade one wins in the Vanity Handicap and Clement Hirsch Stakes. The star of powerful John Sadler barn has been no worse than second in six starts at Santa Anita, and is training steadily for her final prep in the Zenyatta Stakes.
#3-Beholder has been working regularly since checking in a disappointing fourth in the Ogden Phipps back on 6/7. In fact, in her quest to be the second horse to win three Breeders’ Cup races (Goldikova), Beholder worked a mile in 1:38.00 yesterday at Santa Anita and appears on track to face Iotapa and settle who’s the best in the West in the Zenyatta Stakes.
#2-Untapable is clearly the division leader among three-year-old fillies with her dominating performances in the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose Stakes (G1s). The Steven Assmussen trainee was a disappointing fifth when favored last out against males in the Haskell (G1). Untapable has been working smartly toward her final Breeders’ Cup prep in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx on 9/20.
#1-Close Hatches was a game runner-up behind Beholder in last year’s Distaff and has vaulted to the top of the division while being undefeated in 4 starts in 2014. From the powerful Juddmonte/Mott team, Close Hatches will make her final Breeders’ Cup prep at Keeneland in the Spinster Stakes (G1) on 10/5.