Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies - Contender Strengths and Weaknesses

 

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies challenge races have been recorded in the record books and the pre-entries, are on October 20. The Challenge races for the filly division are the Pocahontas Stakes, Chandelier Stakes, Darley Alcibiades Stakes and the Frizette Stakes. Most of the contenders have taken turns beating each other.  This is the first year since 2006 that all of the challenge races have been held over the dirt. As most of you may recall, Keeneland and Santa Anita switched to synthetic surfaces in 2007. 

 

So, with this in mind, let’s review the strengths and weaknesses of some of the proposed entrants.

 

 

ANGELA RENEE (Bernardini - Pilfer, by Deputy Minister)

Race record: 4-2-1-1 ($300,000)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Siena Farm LLC

Breeder: Siena Farms LLC

Auction: None

Last race:  1^st Chandelier (G-1); top Bris SF 97; Breeders’ Cup Challenge Winner. 

 

Strengths:  Although Angela Renee won her debut at five furlongs, her pedigree and performance indicate that she’ll prefer two turns.  Her full brother, To Honor and Serve, won at 1 1/8 miles.  Angela Renee won the Chandelier Stakes, the 1 1/16 mile Breeders’ Cup Challenge prep at Santa Anita. She’s currently based at Santa Anita and will have this advantage over the shippers.

 

Weakness:  Angela Renee beat a fairly weak field filled with California’s finest juvenile fillies in the Chandelier.  She finished behind Cavorting in the Adirondack Stakes and was no match for Condo Commando in the Spinaway. Frizette heroine By The Moon finished ahead of Angela Renee by six lengths in the Spinaway. Trainer Todd Pletcher’s charges are 9-0-3-1 in the Juvenile Fillies. 

 

 

 

BY THE MOON (Indian Charlie - By the Light, by Malibu Moon)

Race record: 3-2-1-0 ($419,800)

Trainer:  Michelle Nevin

Owner:   Jay Em Ess Stable

Breeder: Samantha Siegel

Auction: None

Last race:  1^st Frizette Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 86; Breeders’ Cup Challenge Winner. 

 

Strengths:  By the Moon has the pedigree to prefer middle distances and should improve with age. By The Moon turned the tables on Spinaway winner Condo Commando in the Frizette Stakes, Adirondack stakes winner Cavorting and stakes placed Wonder Gal were also in the field.

 

 

Weakness:  The Frizette was held over a muddy track, so some of these fillies clearly didn’t run their race. The New York-based youngsters have taken turns beating each other this year. By The Moon will be trainer Michelle Nevin’s first Breeders’ Cup entrant.

 

 

 

CAVORTING (Bernardini - Promenade Girl, by Carson City)

Race record: 3-2-0-0 ($270,000)

Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin

Owner: Stonestreet Stables LLC

Breeder: Swettenham Stud

Auction: KEENOV13 $360K

Last race:  7^th Frizette Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 99.

 

Strengths: Cavorting won her first two starts including the Adirondack, in which she beat Angela Renee and Wonder Gal. Despite having a strong pedigree affinity for the mud, Cavorting clearly didn’t care for the surface. She owns the top speed figure in the field.  Cavorting’s dam is a multiple stakes winner of over $600K and won up to 1 1/8 miles. Cavorting’s pedigree is a blend of speed and stamina and she should handle 1 1/16 miles.

 

Weakness: So far, none over fast dirt, but there’s really no stand-out amongst the New York-based fillies. Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is no stranger to the Breeders’ Cup experience, but his only starter in the Juvenile Fillies finished ninth.

 

 

 

CONQUEST ECLIPSE (Malibu Moon - Grand Traverse Bay, by Repriced)

Race record: 3-1-1-1 ($122,400)

Trainer:  Mark Casse

Owner:  Conquest Stables, LLC

Breeder: Tapestry Stud LLC & Spendthrift Farm LLC

Auction: KEESEP13 $170K

Last race:  2^nd Chandelier (G-1); top Bris SF 92.

 

 

Strengths: Conquest Eclipse was far back in the early stages of the Chandelier.  After coming up the rail, the filly found running room late while switching to the outside and gained ground on Angela Renee, finishing only 1 ½ lengths behind that rival.  Conquest Eclipse’s unraced dam is a half-sister to Sweet Damsel, who bore Travers Stakes winner and sire COLONEL JOHN. The youngster is based at Santa Anita and has been breezing well over the surface.

 

Weakness: Conquest Eclipse failed as the California favorite against the New York shipper Angela Renee. Her late-running style is at odds with the Santa Anita speedway surface. Mark Casse’s charges are 6-0-0-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

 

 

 

CRISTINA'S JOURNEY (Any Given Saturday - Toss the Feather, by Dixie Union)

Race record: 2-2-0-0 ($153,159)

Trainer:  Dale Romans

Owner:   GSN Racing, LLC.

Breeder:  Phil Needham, Judy Needham & Bena Halecky

Auction:  KEESEP13 $37K

Last race:  1^st Pocahontas Stakes (G-2); top Bris SF 87; Breeders’ Cup Challenge Winner.

   

Strengths: Cristina’s Journey is undefeated by a combined 6 ½ lengths in her starts. She defeated Schuylerville Stakes runner-up TAKE CHARGE BRANDI and listed stakes placed Rachel’s Ready in the Pocahontas.

 

Weakness:  Cristina’s Journey may be undefeated, but she’s only raced twice. Her speed figures are nothing to write home about and she’ll enter the Juvenile Fillies after a 56 day layoff. Dale Roman’s only starter in the Juvenile Fillies finished seventh in 2008.

 

 

 

DANETTE (Curlin - Sugar Britches, by Dixieland Band)

Race record:  5-0-1-2 ($61,076)

Trainer: Keith Desormeaux

Owner:  Don't Tell My Wife Stables

Breeder: Alexandra Gross, Peter Gross & Alfonso Mazzetti

Auction: KEESEP13 $45K

Last race:  3^rd Chandelier (G-1); top Bris SF 85.

 

Strengths:  After four races over Polytrack, Danette switched to dirt and her speed figure improved by eight points. She was far back in the Chandelier and went three wide on the turn. She gained ground for third place.

 

Weakness: Danette is still a maiden. She finished a distant five lengths behind Angela Renee in the Chandelier and 3 ½ behind second place finisher Conquest Eclipse. The switch to dirt should help improve her form, but no maiden has ever won the Juvenile Fillies in 29 years.

 

 

 

FEATHERED (Indian Charlie - Receipt, by Dynaformer)

Race record: 3-1-1-1 ($116,400)

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Breeder: Teresa Viola Racing Stable

Auction: OBSMAR14 $300K

Last race:  3^rd Frizette Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 97.

 

 

Strengths:  Feathered entered the Frizette after a runaway 9+ length victory in a maiden race. The graded stakes was the first time over the slop, for the lightly raced miss.  Feathered raced two and three wide, chasing the pace for much of the Frizette and spun four wide out of the final turn.  She improved slightly to gain third place by a neck over a faltering Condo Commando. Feathered has one of the classiest pedigrees in the field and should relish middle distances. Trainer Todd Pletcher has plenty of experience brining fillies to the Breeders’ Cup.

 

Weakness: Feathered has beaten nothing, but did it impressively.  Although her pedigree indicates that Feathered should handle mud, she may have disliked the kick-back while chasing the pace. She has the right running style to be a contender in the Juvenile Fillies, but her trainer’s record isn’t the best.

 

 

 

PEACE AND WAR (War Front - More Oats Please, by Smart Strike)

Race record: 4-2-1-0 ($250,017)

Trainer: Olly Stevens

Owner:  Qatar Racing

Breeder: Sally J. Andersen

Auction: KEESEP13 $300K

Last race:  1^st Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 86; Breeders’ Cup Challenge Winner.   

 

Strengths:  In her initial start in the U.S., Peace and War shocked a full field of eleven other fillies to capture the Alcibiades Stakes by ½ length.  Previously, she won her maiden over Polytrack and placed on the turf.  Peace and War had an eventful trip in the Alcibiades.  Typical of a European runner, she was off slow and stuck at the back of the pack. She made a four-wide move at the top of the turn, but had to steady in traffic at the 3 1/16 pole.  With only a furlong left, it didn’t appear that Peace And War would get to the wire first, but she found another gear and got there ½ length over Top Decile.  The Alcibiades was a good indication class.  The contest included Astoria heroine Fashion Alert, restricted stakes winner  Naval Command, Schuylerville Stakes placed Take Charge Brandi, plus Pocahontas third place finisher Milehigh Butterfly.  Peace and War has dirt attributes in her pedigree and her dam is a winner over turf and dirt.

 

Weakness:  We still don’t know if Peace and War will handle dirt.  Often, horses who have been running on turf and poly will handle mud, but aren’t as proficient over a fast track. There’s also the possibility of the “Euro bounce.”  Often, a young filly who extended a strong effort will regress in her following race.  Peace and War may be the mystery horse of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Peace and War is English trainer Olly Stevens’ first Breeders’ Cup entrant.

 

 

 

PUCA (Big Brown - Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost)

Race record: 3-1-0-1 ($53,632)

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner:   Donegal Racing

Breeder: Jerry Crawford & Paul Pompa Jr.

Auction:  KEESEP13 $90K

Last race: 1^st maiden $75K; top Bris SF 88.

 

 

Strengths:  Puca is a late-developing filly. After a poor attempt at sprinting in her early August debut, Puca stretched to 1 1/16 miles over the turf two weeks later and was a late-running third after going wide. The youngster put it all together on October 1, destroying a maiden field by 16 lengths, galloping 1 1/16 miles over the Belmont dirt in 1:46. Her speed figures have improved by almost ten points in each start. Puca is a half-sister to Grade 1 placed turf router FINNEGANS WAKE. Their dam is a stakes placed dirt sprinter.

Weakness: If she goes into the Breeders’ Cup, Puca will obviously receive a tough class test.  Breeders’ Cup veteran trainer Bill Mott has a 3-0-1-0 record in the Juvenile Fillies.

 

 

 

TOP DECILE (Congrats - Sequoia Queen, by Forestry)

Race record: 2-1-1-0 ($129,800)

Trainer: Albert Stall, Jr.

Owner:  Klaravich Stables, Inc. and Lawrence, William H.

Breeder: Clarkland Farm

Auction: KEESEP13 $110K

Last race: 2^nd Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 91.

 

Strengths:  Making only her second start, Top Decile just missed by ½ length in the Alcibiades. After settling at the back of the full field for much of the race, Rosie Napravnik pushed the filly five wide around the far turn and for a few strides, it appeared that the filly’s momentum would take her to the finish line first, but Peace and War surged late.  This was an excellent learning experience for a filly with just two races under her girth.

 

Weaknesses:  Top Decile took advantage of quick early fractions and passed a bunch of tired horses. Her speed figure decreased six points from her first to second start. The daughter of Congrats has a sprinter/miler pedigree and 1 1/16 miles may be at the top of her range.  Trainer Al Stall has run other horses in Breeders’ Cup events, but Top Decile will represent him for the first time in the Juvenile Fillies.

 

 

 

WONDER GAL (Tiz Wonderful - Passe, by Dixie Union)

Race record: 3-1-1-1 ($195,000)

Trainer: Leah Gyarmati

Owner: Treadway Racing Stable

Breeder: Apache Farm LLC

Auction: OBSMAR13 $250K

Last race:  2^nd Frizette Stakes (G-1); top Bris SF 93.

 

Strengths: Wonder Gal won her debut in a stakes race. Facing winners in the Adirondack, Wonder Gal raced on the rail and was in tight in the final stages but held her position to finish third. She sat mid-pack in the Frizette and made a three-wide move on the turn to finish best of the rest, 2 ½ lengths behind By the Moon and a length in front of Feathered. With her running style, 1 1/16 miles should be within her reach and with the right trip, she could hit the board in the Juvenile Fillies.

 

Weakness: Wonder Gal’s last two races were adequate, but not eye-catching.  She has some talent, but has finished behind By The Moon, Cavorting and Angela Renee. Wonder Gal may need to step up her game to wear the Breeders’ Cup flower wreath. Wonder Gal will be trainer Leah Gyarmati’s second Breeders’ Cup entrant.

 

 

Other possible entrants for the Juvenile Fillies: