- Home
- DRF Bets
- Handicapping & PPsHorsemen's ProductsReports
- The Wizard
- DRF Gameplan
- Quick Sheets
- DRF Picks
- Today's Racing Digest
- Key Race Report
- Positive ROI Report
- Moss Pace Figure Reports
- Debut Reports
- BreezeFigs
Access past performances- DRF EasyForm PPs
- DRF Classic PDF PPs
- DRF Formulator PPs
- DRF HarnessEye PPs
- DRF Daily Harness Program PPs
- Daily Racing Program PPs
Racing and Wagering InformationToolsHorse Racing Links- Race Tracks
- Casinos
- Account Wagering
- Breeding
- Racing and Charitable
- Contests/Games
- Regional/Free
- Radio Shows
Get the most out of
DRF's online PPs with
Learn more. - Entries
- Results
- NewsCategoriesTrack ReportsTriple Crown Special Events
Exclusive content available only with a DRF Plus Plan. See Plan Pricing. - Blogs
- Video
- Learn
- StorePast Performances
- Compare all DRF PPs
- DRF Formulator PPs
- DRF Classic PPs
- DRF EasyForm PPs
- Daily Racing Program PPs
- See all Pricing/Plans
REPORTS PICKS Harness PPs - Events
- Breeding
Email
ELMONT, N.Y. - My Miss Aurelia and Questing, separated by a head when first and second in Saturday’s Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx, are headed for a rematch in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 2, their connections indicated Sunday morning.
Steve Asmussen, the trainer of My Miss Aurelia, said his undefeated champion filly came out of the race “in extremely good shape” and arrived in Saratoga early Sunday morning. However, My Miss Aurelia was scheduled to be flown to Southern California on Monday morning along with three other Asmussen-trained horses who are pointing to stakes and/or Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita, a meet that opens Friday.
My Miss Aurelia will head west with Dust and Diamonds, winner of Saturday’s Gallant Bloom at Belmont; Unbridled’s Note, third in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop at Saratoga; and Mico Margarita, a 2-year-old maiden winner at Belmont. Dust and Diamonds is running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint while Unbridled’s Note will try turf for the first time in Friday’s $100,000 Eddie Delahoussaye Stakes, the opening day feature at Santa Anita, and Mico Margarita will run in the $100,000 Tim Conway Stakes for 2-year-olds at six furlongs on Oct. 6.
A fifth horse, Daddy Nose Best, will fly with that group but will be sent to Remington Park for the Oklahoma Derby on Saturday.
My Miss Aurelia and Questing both earned Beyer Speed Figures of 96 for their efforts in the Cotillion, which saw the two fillies brush at the head of the lane and put on a stirring stretch duel which went to My Miss Aurelia. My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, is now 6 for 6 in her career.
“She ran an incredible race,” Asmussen said. “Both fillies finished up really well.”
Meanwhile, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Questing came out of the Cotillion in good order and is definite to run in the Ladies’ Classic. She also returned to Saratoga on Sunday morning.
McLaughlin said the deep and dry nature of the Parx main track and the fact Questing conceded seven pounds to My Miss Aurelia compromised his filly.
McLaughlin said that Simon Crisford, the racing manager for Godolphin Stable, texted that “seven pounds is equivalent to 3 1/2 lengths over that [1 1-16-mile] distance if you agree with the handicap scale that has existed for more than 200 years.”
“I agree with it for sure,” McLaughlin said. “So we have a seven-pound switch in our favor next time with her. We have others to be concerned about.”
Questing had ascended to the top of the 3-year-old filly division with wins in the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama at Saratoga.
“We are okay,” McLaughlin said. “It was a great race and we lost, but we’ve been on a great run and a little bit spoiled too.”
McLaughlin said that Questing will do the bulk of her training at the Godolphin training center in Saratoga.
 |
Bombs away in the ladies classic. Both Of these fillies will be bet-againsts.
|
 |
Awesome Feather, Dance Card, Potesta, Royal Delta will join these 2 in what should be the race of the meet, the Filly and Mare Championship.
|
WoW What A Race ,Now We Know Blk Cav Wont Be At The B.C (She Woudnt Even Be In The Tri )-lolk-DS
|
Jockey's can help their horses with the added weight weight by not using them early, and if they can avoid pressure they do just that. If Questing used her speed early, the weight definitely would've been a factor, but Questing was just strolling on the lead, she kicked in at the quarter pole, and got beat by a world class filly!
|
 |
Holy horseshoes, the ladies classic will be a good one . For this racing fan it is Awesome Feather
|
|
McLaughlin is a top trainer but I believe he was shocked that Questing lost and was searching for excuses. Questing was extremely impressive at Saratoga and destroyed her rivals in both G1's. However, MMA was not among her rivals. MMA had one race this year prior the Cotillion and she was stretching out from 7F to 1 1/16M. Questing had everything her own way in the race and could not hold off MMA when the real running began. For everyone saying that Ortiz should have used her speed to open up a larger lead, did u ever think that Nakatani would have used MMA's speed to stay closer? MMA was finishing better than Questing and deserved to win. The fact is MMA is better than Questing at this point in their careers. In addition, MMA has more room for improvement than Questing. The 7lb weight difference did not cost Questing the race, MMA's ability did.
|
|
MMA ran a very good race and deserved to win here.
On the other hand, Irad or Claud goofed up when they had the best speed horse in the race, but, they decided to play the waiting game rather than steal the race(as good front runners do by taking advantage of the situation).
With the next race being a major race in deciding the future of these two very good horses and if I were a trainer of either of these 2 horses & would need them to be ridden by a top BC/Current National Joc. and that would make a huge difference.
People who want to argue that Cory is great because he won a few BC races, I would say he deserved those races because of the good horses he got, but, not like a great jockey who would move a horse up considerably by the expert handling of a top joc considering this is the Breeders Cup.
|
 |
Race riding on a frontrunner 101:
1) If your horse is going too fast, you rate him/her.
2) If your horse is not going fast enough, you ask for speed for maybe one furling, 2 furlongs at the most. You cannot ask for speed the entire way round, the horse will have nothing left in the stretch.
3) If #1 or #2 does not happen, you sit still and let your opponent dictate how fast your frontrunner goes. This is why the pace tends to be faster when there's a big field - more horses around to push the frontrunner along.
In the 2012 Cotillion, scenario #3 played out. Ortiz did not try to rate or choke Questing back. The early pace was slow because Nakatani and My Miss Aurelia did not press the issue. Questing was always 2 lengths in front. The pace pressing jockeys sometimes pick a different strategy. Sometimes they push the frontrunners along, for example Hero of Order in the 2012 West Virginia Derby and Life at Ten in the 2010 Personal Ensign. As it unfolded, My Miss Aurelia won because the race flow, the track bias and the handicap weight favored her this time. Questing ran gallantly in defeat. There's nothing much to blame really. This very talented filly will move on to the next race. Just like 3yo sensatiion Careless Jewel in 2009, Questing should still go off favored in the Ladies Classic. But the Ladies Classic is a race historically dominated by older fillies and mares, including 6 of the last 7 runnings. The current contingent of older fillies and mares are too strong - Awesome Feather, Royal Delta, It's Tricky, Include Me Out, Love and Pride, Angelica Zapata, Switch, Amani etc.The smart money should stay away from the two short-priced 3yo fillies.
|
Tony= No she didn't get beat by a better filly, weights got her beat by a head. Second the track at Parx is crap, very slow, and deep. 25/50/1:14 is about as quick as you can get that day over that course. It had nothing to do with her getting a very easy lead. That said Questing should be in the CLASSIC, not the ladies classic because she is by far the better filly at 10f then 8.5, 0r 9 furlongs. Also their is a certain Awesome Feather who would probably beat both at any distance. IMO Questing is still the only one who has run, and won at 10f. Her 2:01 at saratoga would win her this years Classic.
|
|
The female race is shaping out to be the better of the two. NO 3 year olds deserve to even be in the Classic this year. What an absolutely AWFUL group. After Ill Have Another and Bode retired, the 3 year old group packed it in. November is the real start to what will hopefully be a better group.
|
Best Bets
MOST HAPPY FELLA, reclaimed from last, drops to easier spot after setting pressured pace vs. odds-on Pinball; both wins last year came on this track. ARTIE LUVSTO PARTY has a knack for surprises, with three lifetime wins coming at 33-1, 17-1 & 11-1 (two on this track); entrymate EQUIVOCATION gets major rider switch first off a claim. PURE ATTITUDE among top 3 in wins & earnings and snug fit to date clause.
Most Popular
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
