2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Stakes winners galore, but no standout
There is a strong possibility the winner of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 5 at Del Mar will produce a double-digit payoff, even if the favorite prevails.
Wednesday, the Breeders’ Cup organization announced 18 pre-entries for the one-mile race, a group that includes seven stakes winners from throughout the United States but not a standout candidate.
There are familiar trainers behind a few American-based runners.
Trainer Chad Brown has won the race a record five times, most recently in 2018. This year, Brown has two hopefuls in Consumer Spending, the emphatic winner of the Selima Stakes on Oct. 2 at Laurel Park, and Haughty, a four-length maiden race winner on Oct. 17 at Keeneland.
The BC Juvenile Fillies Turf will have a maximum of 14 starters. Consumer Spending has a berth in the field, while Haughty is the first alternate. Haughty would gain a starting spot if one of the first 14 is withdrawn from consideration.
Trainer Brad Cox won the 2020 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland and has two contenders this year in Bubble Rock, winner of the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at six furlongs on turf on Oct. 9 at Belmont Park in her stakes debut, and Turnerloose, who won the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes at a mile on Sept. 6 but finished third in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 13 at Keeneland.
Turnerloose set the pace in the Jessamine, but could not hold the advantage and finished a head behind California Angel, who with the win earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The American stakes winners Koala Princess (Ainsworth Stakes at Kentucky Downs) and Sail By (Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park) add depth to the domestic team along with the highly rated Pizza Bianca, second in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 19 at Woodbine, and Diamond Wow, second in the Jessamine.
There were five major stakes in Europe and North America in recent weeks that offered a fees-paid berth for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, but only two winners were pre-entered, including Hello You, winner of the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse in England on Sept. 24.
There are six foreign-based fillies among the pre-entries, including Hello You.
Malavath will start at a mile for the first time after winning the Group 2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at six furlongs at Chantilly Racecourse in France on Oct. 9.
The English shippers include Zain Claudette, who won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York in August, but was 10th of 12 in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes on Sept. 25 at Newmarket, and Cachet and Mise En Scene, who were third and fourth in a well-regarded running of the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on Oct. 8 at Newmarket.
Crazyland, third in the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury in England on Sept. 2, is ranked third on the list of also-eligible runners.