Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Groupie Doll looks brightest among stellar group

Among the 14 pre-entrants for the Filly and Mare Sprint are Musical Romance, the defending titlist and the division’s reigning Eclipse winner; Turbulent Descent, a Grade 1 winner each of the past three years and the 7-5 favorite in last year’s renewal; Switch, a dual Grade 1 winner at Santa Anita and the Filly and Mare Sprint runner-up each of the last two years; and Contested, a perfect 5 for 5 on fast dirt tracks, including decisive triumphs in the Acorn and Test.

Despite that impressive list of credentials, Groupie Doll will be a clear favorite against them all, and anyone else who shows up, in the sixth running of the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint on Saturday, Nov. 3.

[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: Pre-entered fields with odds and comments]

Groupie Doll has been untouchable since trainer Buff Bradley fitted her with blinkers, winning the Madison, Humana Distaff, Presque Isle Masters, and Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes by better than 20 lengths. Her 112 Beyer Figure in the Humana Distaff – her last dirt race – is the highest by any filly or mare this year, and surpassed only by the Met Mile (115) among all races up to a mile.

Switch (A Gleam), Turbulent Descent (Ballerina), Dust and Diamonds (Gallant Bloom Handicap), and Groupie Doll (TCA) won Breeders’ Cup Challenge races and thereby earned fees-paid berths to the seven-furlong race.

They all appear to be coming up to the race in fine fettle.

[BREEDERS' CUP 2012: Race-by-race coverage, video, early odds]

Switch, who was kept in training as a 5-year-old with this race at her home track in mind, recorded bullet workouts Oct. 14 and 20.

After a half-mile breeze ranked first of 69 at Belmont Park on Oct. 14, Turbulent Descent worked five furlongs in company with unbeaten stablemate Kauai Katie on Sunday. She is scheduled to ship to California on Tuesday.

Dust and Diamonds, who went to Santa Anita soon after her upset victory in the Gallant Bloom, reportedly went very well through five-eighths in 59.80 seconds over the track Sunday.

With John McKee up, Groupie Doll breezed five furlongs in a best-of-the-morning 59.60 at Churchill Downs on Sunday, a move that delighted Bradley.

Meanwhile, Musical Romance, who tops all pre-entrants in wins (12) and earnings ($1.68 million), drilled six furlongs in 1:14.20 at her Calder base Oct. 18, and was scheduled to work again Oct. 25, after which she will be vanned to Kentucky and then put on a plane to California. The Filly and Mare Sprint will be the 41st and final start for the durable mare, consigned to Fasig-Tipton’s Kentucky November mixed sale two days after the race.

Two fillies were pre-entered in other races:

Class Included, who has won or placed in all 16 of her starts at Emerald Downs and Hastings Park, has the Ladies’ Classic as second preference.

Reneesgotzip, one of just two 3-year-olds in the potential field along with Contested, has the Turf Sprint as first preference.

The dynamics of the Filly and Mare Sprint would change dramatically in the absence of Reneesgotzip, who has set or forced the pace in each of her seven starts, including a wire-to-wire win over the track in the Santa Ynez.