Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies: Artemis Agrotera, Untapable have speed but can also rate

ARCADIA, Calif. – Speed and the ability to harness it is a lethal combination.

They are what make Artemis Agrotera and Untapable seemingly the two most dangerous horses in Saturday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, a race that most likely will crown the champion 2-year-old filly of 2013.

The Juvenile Fillies, run at 1 1/16 miles around two turns, is the first of nine Breeders’ Cup races to be run on Saturday. The field contains seven graded stakes winners and three-time Florida Stallion Stakes winner Scandalous Act.

Artemis Agrotera, a New York-bred daughter of Roman Ruler trained by Mike Hushion, didn’t get the plaudits usually associated with a Grade 1 victory when she won the Frizette at Belmont Park four weeks ago. The focus, instead, went to the runner-up, Sweet Reason, who overcame a terrible start to finish second. Sweet Reason, who won the Grade 1 Spinaway two months ago, is in this field and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.[bc_video_id:308859:]

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: Fields with DRF odds and comments]

Artemis Agrotera used her speed to blitz New York-bred maidens by 11 3/4 lengths in August. Stepping up in class and out in distance, Artemis Agrotera sat off another horse in winning the Frizette.

Getting Artemis Agrotera to relax has been Hushion’s focus for a while. In her most recent work, at Belmont Park, Artemis Agrotera went her first quarter in 26 seconds and her final quarter in 24.28.

“The way she handled herself in the afternoon in the Frizette and that work are the most positive things,” Hushion said. “I don’t see any reason why it should be different this time, though it’s human nature to be afraid of something.”

With Artemis Agrotera drawing the rail, Hushion said he wouldn’t be afraid if jockey Jose Lezcano had Artemis Agrotera in front early on. She’s a Tiger, the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante winner, appears to be the other horse with the most early speed. She is drawn in post 10.

Like Artemis Agrotera, Untapable showed good speed winning her debut against maidens sprinting in June at Churchill. After having to miss the Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga due to colic, Untapable then successfully stretched out around two turns and rated to win the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill on Sept. 7. She ran a faster time for 1 1/16 miles than did Cleburne winning the Iroquois on the same card.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said he was so impressed with how Untapable ran off the 11-week layoff that he gave her eight weeks in between races leading to this.

“With her having success off a layoff going from a one-turn sprint to the two-turn stakes, it showed she obviously runs well fresh,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen shipped Untapable to Southern California in time for her to get three workouts over the track.

“It worked extremely well for us last year,” said Asmussen, who won last year’s Dirt Mile with Tapizar and ran second in the Distaff with My Miss Aurelia.

Rosie Napravnik, who won last year’s BC Juvenile aboard Shanghai Bobby, rides Untapable, her only Breeders’ Cup mount this year.

Jeff Bonde, the trainer of She’s a Tiger, said he wouldn’t let post position influence how his filly runs. She was fairly aggressive when breaking from the outside post in the Grade 1 Chandelier here on Sept. 28, a race in which she was caught late by Secret Compass, trained by Bob Baffert.

Baffert believes “nobody will be in front of” She’s a Tiger, and is hoping his filly can repeat her last performance and catch her at the wire.

“She looks great, she’s happy, two turns is not a problem for us,” Baffert said.

Though she comes in off a defeat, Sweet Reason was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the Juvenile Fillies. Trainer Leah Gyarmati worked her a slow mile around two turns here last Sunday, a work that did not win over the skeptics.

“I think I have the same horse that I had four weeks ago,” said Gyarmati, who is starting her first horse in a Breeders’ Cup race. “Obviously, I didn’t get the bullet work, never did. I think she’s doing great. I’m happy going into the race. I couldn’t ask for anything different.”

Scandalous Act has won three consecutive Florida Stallion Stakes, all on the front end. She slowed the pace down on the lead winning the My Dear Girl Stakes by 5 3/4 lengths last out.

Rosalind, second in the Grade 1 Alcibiades; Designer Legs, winner of the Grade 2 Adirondack; Concave, third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante; and Ria Antonia, fifth in the Grade 1 Frizette, complete the field.