BC Juvenile Fillies Turf: The Mackem Bullet wants to stretch out

The six-furlong distance of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket last Saturday did not suit The Mackem Bullet. The promising filly wants a longer race, which is why trainer Brian Ellison has targeted the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2 for The Mackem Bullet’s first start at a mile.

“It’s a dream come true to have a filly that’s good enough to go out there,” Ellison said on Wednesday from a yearling sale in Ireland.

“She’s a very good filly. It should be spot-on.”

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Ellison, based in Northern England, will have his first Breeders’ Cup runner with The Mackem Bullet, who is owned by Katsumi Yoshida of Japan, who acquired her in the days before the Cheveley Park Stakes.

In the Cheveley Park Stakes, The Mackem Bullet was beaten a neck by Fairyland, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien. At York Racecourse in August, Fairyland and The Mackem Bullet were first and second, separated by a nose in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at six furlongs.

Oisin Murphy was aboard for both of the narrow losses and will have the mount in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Ellison said.

“Twice he’s rode [her], and he says she wants more ground,” Ellison said.

The Mackem Bullet, by Society Rock, is expected to be part of a strong group of European contenders. O’Brien trains Just Wonderful, who won the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Sept. 28, earning an automatic berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

O’Brien has not stated race plans for Fairyland, who could run in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket on Oct. 13. The Juvenile Fillies Turf could be an option for So Perfect, who was third in the Cheveley Park for O’Brien.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf is almost certain to have a big field. With four weeks to the race, the list of candidates is led by Newspaperofrecord, the impressive winner of the Grade 3 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park last Sunday.

Newspaperofrecord, trained by Chad Brown, led throughout the Miss Grillo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, winning by 6 1/4 lengths. Brown has won a record four runnings of the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

There are two races in the next week that offer a fees-paid berth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf to the winner – Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and the Group 3 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 10.

The Prix Marcel Boussac, run at a mile on the undercard of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, is led by Zagitova, who is trained by O’Brien and was fourth in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland on Sept. 16.

Brown plans to start the highly regarded Fierce Scarlett in the Jessamine Stakes. Fierce Scarlett won a maiden special weight race at 1 1/16 miles on turf by 4 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park on Sept. 15.

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