Midday faces high noon at the Breeders’ Cup
When the dollar-fest that is the Breeders’ Cup began, at Hollywood Park in 1984, Henry Cecil tended to regarded Chepstow about the furthest west he would travel his horses.
It would be another 10 years before Cecil decided to venture to the Breeders’ Cup, when Eltish second to Timber Country in the Juvenile at Churchill Downs, but it would be another 15 years before Midday won the Filly & Mare Turf at Santa Anita 12 months ago.
The filly bids for a repeat and looks the straight choice above main dangers Harmonious and Red Desire. Harmonious, who won the Grade One Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last month, has not raced beyond 10 furlongs so her stamina over 11 furlongs (she is out of a Storm Cat mare) has to be taken on trust. Red Desire, the runner from Japan, and was less than a length third to Ave in the Grade One Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont (conceding 2lb) last month.
However, and even allowing for Ave improving in the last year, her form when she was trained by Sir Michael Stoute puts her a long way behind Midday.
Blind Luck may have finished behind Havre de Grace last time out but she can turn that form around in the Ladies Classic. Blind Luck won over course and distance in the Grade One Kentucky Oaks in May and her to recent defeats have been when she has conceded 10lbs to the winner.
The most recent of those, in the Grade Two Cotillion Stakes at the Parx, Blind Luck failed to make that concession to Havre de Grace by just a neck and should be able to turn the form around at levels and Life At Ten could be the danger.
Informed Decision is another defending champion in the Filly & Mare Sprint, but while her from on synthetic surfaces, such as the Pro-Ride that was at Santa Anita for last year’s Breeders’ Cup, is solid she is less so on dirt. Gabby's Golden Gal, who has been off the track for nine months, has some good bit of form at this level – winning the Grade One Santa Monica Handicap at Santa Anita last time out – and has been working well on the track this week.
Gabby's Golden Gal’s trainer, Bob Baffert, runs AZ Warrior in the Juvenile Fillies in a where she faces a re-match with R Heat Lightning, whom she beat by one-and-three-quarter lengths in the Grade One Frizette Stakes at Belmont last month. But R Heat Lightning got no run at all from the turn and could be capable of rewriting the form here. Awesome Feather has the string of wins to her name but at a lower grade and it could be Brian Meehan’s Theyskens' Theory – solid turf form but dirt bred – who gets into the frame.
The European runners would be expected to dominate the majority of the races run on grass but the home team might have the answer for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Winter Memories performance stuck in the mind after she won the Grade Three Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont by five-and-a-quarter lengths and looks to have a touch of class. Aidan O’Brien’s Together represents the best of the European form but has had seven runs already this season and O’Brien goes into this year’s meeting with a score of 1-34 in the last six years.
The Marathon was something of a European benefit in its first two years at Santa Anita because 14 furlongs is not a regular distance stateside. But a return to dirt has deterred many from coming over and Prince Will I Am might just least the trip. That cannot be a given as he is unproven over the trip but his damsire is Dynaformer who has got the 2007 St Leger winner Lucarno.
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