Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf: Brown trio will face three Euro favorites
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A quick glance at the prospective lineup for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf seems to make it a nice little 3-on-3 matching Chad Brown versus the Europeans.
Brown will be in with a fighting chance when trying to add to his record of four Filly and Mare Turf wins by a trainer when represented by the trio of In Italian, Rougir, and Virginia Joy in the 1 3/16-mile turf race. Still, the European contingent, as of this week, is led by the three favorites on the Daily Racing Form odds line for the Nov. 5 race at Keeneland, those being Nashwa (2-1), Above the Curve (4-1), and Dreamloper (5-1).
A fourth European, the German-bred filly Rosscarbery, is a bit farther down the odds list for Irish trainer Paddy Twomey, who last week removed the French-bred mare Pearls Galore from consideration for this race. Also, a pair of 3-year-old Coolmore fillies, Toy and Tuesday, were added to the list of probable starters last week by Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
There’s more. A pair of Canadian fillies, Moira and Lady Speightspeare, also are being pointed to the Filly and Mare Turf, while the balance of American representation is expected to include the Rodeo Drive winner, Going to Vegas, and maybe a couple more, including Family Way, the Rodeo Drive runner-up.
Moira, the 2022 Queen’s Plate winner, is scheduled to breeze Saturday at Woodbine, according to trainer Kevin Attard. The 3-year-old Ghostzapper filly finished second as the favorite in her turf debut, the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor, before being disqualified to eighth for interference following a very troubled trip.
“As of now, we’re training her as if she’s running in the Breeders’ Cup,” Attard said.
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