Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf: Dank to chase Laughing from rail
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dank was the final name drawn among 10 fillies and mares entered Monday at Santa Anita for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which will be run Saturday. She will be first in the hearts of many bettors.
Dank, a European-based filly trained by Michael Stoute, drew post 1 and is expected to start favored in the 1 1/4-mile race, which will be her first start since Aug. 17 when she won the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington by more than four lengths.
There were no surprises at the draw. East Coast-based Laughing, who ships to California on Tuesday, drew post 7 and is expected to set the pace under Jose Lezcano. Laughing has won all four of her starts this year, including the Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile Flower Bowl on Sept. 28 at Belmont.
While the possibility of a slow tempo favors the field’s only front-runner, Laughing must carry her speed over a deep group that includes the top female turf runners in California – Tiz Flirtatious and Marketing Mix
[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: Fields with DRF odds and comments]
Post position is not a significant factor in 1 1/4-mile turf races at Santa Anita, though Tiz Flirtatious’s owner, Pam Ziebarth, was happy with post 4. “We like it,” she said. “The only post (trainer Marty Jones) did not want was post 1.”
Tiz Flirtatious has won 4 of 5 this year, including the Grade 1, 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita on Sept. 28. She won by a head over Marketing Mix.
The F&M Turf will be race 5 on Saturday; post time 12:43 Pacific.
Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf
Purse: $2 million; 1 ¼ miles; Grade 1
PP, Horse, Jockey, Morning-line odds
1. Dank (GB) (R. Moore) 5-2
2. Romantica(GB) (M. Guyon) 6-1
3. Tiz Flirtatious (J. Leparoux) 7-2
4. Alterite (Fr) (J. Velazquez) 10-1
5. Lady of Shamrock (V. Espinoza) 20-1
6. Marketing Mix (G. Stevens) 7-2
7. Laughing (Ire) (J. Lezcano) 8-1
8. Emollient (M. Smith) 12-1
9. Qushchi (GB) (E. Prado) 20-1
10. Kitten’s Dumplings (J. Rosario) 10-1
Post time: Saturday, 3:43 p.m. Eastern