Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Ismene signals readiness

ARCADIA, Calif. – Ismene will be among the longshots in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, but her impact will be unmistakable – the California-bred front-runner will set the pace as far as she can.

On Sunday, the filly signaled that she is ready.

Bill Spawr trains early, and Ismene was the first Breeders’ Cup candidate on the track at 5 a.m. A few minutes later, she broke off from the five-eighths pole under exercise rider Ricky Ramirez.

With a red light flashing on Ramirez’s helmet, Ismene rolled through a solo five-furlong workout that Spawr timed in a quick 58.60 seconds. Track clockers gave her a time of 58.80. It was a fast work by a fast filly.

“We wanted a minute, but I knew she was going to be a little better,” Spawr said. He was equally pleased at how she returned to the barn. “It was like she just galloped; she was cooled out by the time we got back here.”

It was the second consecutive sharp work by Ismene, whose Oct. 21 drill was not recorded because of fog. Spawr said she worked a half-mile that day in 47.80 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.

Ismene has four runner-up finishes this year from six starts, including her most recent Oct. 12. Racing 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in the California Cup Distaff, she set the pace to deep stretch. It could be the ideal Breeders’ Cup prep.

“We had this race in mind all year long,” owner and breeder Steve Ferraro said. “We missed some of the big races, but now she is caught up, and this is the first time she has been able to run back in three weeks. I hope we’re sneaking up on them.”

Ismene, 3 for 9, has not won since taking consecutive stakes as a 2-year-old in 2011. She will be ridden by Mike Smith, who guided the Spawr-trained Amazombie to victory in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs.