Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Joseph considering three to defend title
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Last year, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. made the most of an inspired decision when Soul of an Angel cut back in distance late in her 5-year-old season and went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at odds of 19-1. Joseph has a live chance to defend his title at Del Mar in this year’s edition, but like several trainers blessed with options, it is still unclear which horses will represent him in the starting gate.
Joseph is actively considering a trio of 4-year-old fillies for the seven-furlong sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar and said that he plans to confirm with owners later this week. All three fillies are coming off stakes victories at either 6 1/2 or 7 furlongs.
Haulin Ice is arguably the likeliest to make the trip after winning the Grade 3 Princess Rooney on Sept. 20, the same race Soul of an Angel won before traveling to California last year. The race was the only Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In race at Gulfstream Park this year and grants Joseph an automatic starting position, paid entry fees, and $10,000 for travel from Florida.
R Disaster might not have her expenses paid, but the filly could be another dangerous contender for the trainer. Earlier this year, she finished a neck behind Haulin Ice, her stablemate and rival, in the Grade 3 Vagrancy after dueling her for the lead the entire way. Last Saturday, she returned to Aqueduct and earned a long-awaited graded stakes triumph in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.
Mystic Lake is the least certain of Joseph’s trio, and the trainer labeled her “questionable” for the Breeders’ Cup. The Florida-bred has spent most of the year taking advantage of softer fields and has now won four straight, most recently the $150,000 Liberty Bell at Parx Racing.
In August, she won the $250,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon over Vahva, a Grade 1 winner who is entered in the Grade 2 Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland on Saturday. Trainer Cherie DeVaux said that Vahva is still being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup.
Like Joseph, trainer Bob Baffert also has several options for the Filly and Mare Sprint, but his leading contender is much clearer. In August, 4-year-old filly Hope Road shipped to Saratoga and won the Grade 1 Ballerina, another Win and You’re In race for the Filly and Mare Sprint. She is among the leaders of the division, though results from the TCA and Grade 3 Chillingworth at Santa Anita could still change that picture this weekend.
Trainer Bill Mott said that it is still too early to decide if 5-year-old mare Scylla and 3-year-old filly Ragtime will travel to Del Mar. Last year, Scylla’s last start before the Breeders’ Cup was the Ballerina. She finished second behind Hope Road in that race this year.
Ragtime defeated 3-year-old rivals in the Grade 3 Dogwood at Churchill Downs in September, nearly two months after finishing second behind Kilwin in the Grade 1 Test. Trainer Rusty Arnold said that Kilwin will not run in the Breeders’ Cup this year and will instead wrap up her season in the Grade 2 Raven Run on Oct. 18 at Keeneland.
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