2021 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Gamine, Bella Sofia set to duel from the start
DEL MAR, Calif. – There may only be five horses in Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar, but expect a good old-fashioned throwdown between the two favorites, Gamine and Bella Sofia.
Both fillies have speed and, from the sounds of it, their connections intend on using it.
“We’re going to come out running,” said Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of the 3-year-old filly Bella Sofia, who has Luis Saez aboard the 5-2 second choice from the outside post.
Rodriguez said John Velazquez, the Hall of Fame rider of Gamine, “can control the pace, but I don’t think we’re going to let him control it. I think we’re going to control it. We’re going to go after her and hope for the best.”
Rodriguez apparently told Velazquez this earlier in the week when the two saw each other on the Del Mar backside.
“I told him already you gotta go 21-and-change to be in front of me,” Velazquez said he told Rodriguez. “You want to go fast, go fast. You’re going to have to go faster than me. I ain’t taking back.”
It is the presence of Gamine that has kept the field size down for the Filly and Mare Sprint, run at seven furlongs. The brilliant filly is 9 for 10 overall and a perfect 8 for 8 in races run around one turn. She won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint to cap a 5-for-6 season and earn the Eclipse Award as champion female sprinter. She is 4 for 4 this year, with four relatively easy victories.
Only seven were pre-entered for the Filly and Mare Sprint. Truth Hurts stayed in New York and won a division of Sunday’s Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Belmont. Estilo Talentoso was withdrawn from the race on Tuesday after being off in her right front leg.
The Filly and Mare Sprint goes as the first of nine Breeders’ Cup races on Saturday’s card. Post time for that race is 12:05 p.m. Pacific. First post for the day is 10:15 a.m.
In last year’s Filly and Mare Sprint, Saez rode Serengeti Empress and gunned her away from the gate, setting fractions of 21.77 seconds for the quarter and 44.27 for the half. Gamine bobbled at the break, and Velazquez adeptly guided Gamine to the outside of Serengeti Empress in a stalking position. Gamine took over at the eighth pole and drew away to win by 6 1/4 lengths, setting a Keeneland track record of 1:20.20 for seven furlongs.
Velazquez said he’s of the same mindset this year that he was last year in the Sprint.
“If they’re in front of me, it’s because they’re going much faster than they’re supposed to,” Velazquez said.
Last Saturday at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert had Gamine start four lengths behind a horse and finish up two in front. Baffert said Wednesday he will discuss strategy with Velazquez closer to race day.
Though Gamine’s had four relatively easy races this year, both Baffert and Velazquez believe she’s as good entering this year’s Filly and Mare Sprint as she was last year.
“I think so,” Baffert said. “All her races were pretty easy. She’s doing well. I’m happy with her; she’s a big strong mare. She’s fast. She’s brilliant.”
Gamine breaks one post inside of Bella Sofia.
Bella Sofia, a 3-year-old daughter of American Patriot, is 4 for 5 in her career. In her only start at seven furlongs, she won the Grade 1 Test for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga. In her only start against older horses, she won the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap against three horses. The runner-up from that race, Lady Rocket, came back to win a division of Sunday’s $100,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Belmont Park.
Rodriguez made the decision to send Bella Sofia to Southern California early to get acclimated to her surroundings and the track. Rodriguez, who gets on the filly himself, felt Bella Sofia struggled with the surface at first but then got more comfortable. He was happy with the way she breezed over it Sunday.
“I’m just happy to see her being this comfortable,” Rodriguez said. “The last couple of times when I come out with a couple of horses, I came three days before, they don’t eat up good. She ate, but she didn’t eat the way she’s eating now. The fillies are a little more delicate than the colts.”
When Bella Sofia won the Gallant Bloom, Lake Avenue finished third, 12 1/2 lengths back. When Gamine won the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 28 at Saratoga, she beat Lake Avenue by 1 3/4 lengths.
Of the remaining three fillies in the race, Ce Ce could be given the chance for an upset. She is 3 for 5 this year and coming off a five-length victory in the Chillingworth Stakes on Oct. 3 at Santa Anita. In her start prior to that, she finished third, three lengths behind Gamine, in the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.
Michael McCarthy, trainer of Ce Ce, wouldn’t mind seeing a pace duel between the two favorites.
“That’s kind of what we need, someone to go ahead and mind Gamine and we can go ahead and sit right off them,” said McCarthy, adding that Ce Ce “seems like she’s holding her form. She looks unbelievable, attitude’s great.”
Victor Espinoza rides Ce Ce.
Edgeway has won three of her last four starts, the one loss being an 11 1/4-length defeat to Gamine in the Great Lady M. Stakes on July 4 at Los Alamitos. Edgeway defeated Proud Emma, the other entrant in this field, in the Rancho Bernardo on Aug. 20 at Del Mar.
Proud Emma is 0 for 4 this year, and trainer Peter Miller admits he’s just taking a shot. Flavien Prat rides from the rail
“Hope to hit the board. It’s a million bucks, short field,” Miller said.