Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Emphatic punches her ticket with upset
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The potential field for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies came into much clearer focus last weekend, even if the results from three major preps might have raised more questions than answers. The favorites in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland, Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont, and Grade 2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita all went to relative newcomers in the division.
Though Emphatic went off at the shortest price of the three winners, she also may have pulled off the biggest surprise when she defeated 4-5 favorite and division leader Summer Starlet in the Alcibiades.
In his first ride aboard the Brendan Walsh-trained filly, Tyler Gaffalione sent Emphatic straight to the lead and never looked back, driving clear to a 1 1/4-length victory. She remains unbeaten in three starts and has already won two stakes around two turns, having first scored in the $100,000 Sorority at Monmouth Park.
Summer Starlet, who won the Grade 1 Spinaway with a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, was far from disgraced in second after having her heels clipped early in the race. She finished 17 1/2 lengths clear of the next finisher in the field of seven, making it difficult to see any more Juvenile Fillies contenders coming out of the Keeneland prep.
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In the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita, most bettors naturally zeroed in on the Bob Baffert-trained trio of Holmby, Quattro Passi, and Deluge in the field of six, only for the 14-1 maiden Domain Expansion to rally from fourth to win by seven lengths.
In her only other start for trainer Leonard Powell, Domain Expansion finished second in a maiden special weight on turf, which clearly did enough to prepare her for her stakes debut on dirt. Powell said he would seriously consider shipping for the Juvenile Fillies.
Baffert, who could still proceed with his Oak Leaf runners, is already targeting the Juvenile Fillies with Miss Monica, who skipped the Santa Anita race after winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante by 6 1/4 lengths last month. The filly is already in Kentucky and completed her second workout Monday at Churchill Downs, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.20.
Unlike the Alcibiades and Oak Leaf, the Frizette at Belmont was not a Win and You’re In race for the Juvenile Fillies but is instead a part of the Dirt Dozen program. As a result, the 11-1 winner Dotsy will receive a $30,000 credit for entry fees, which might be enough to tempt trainer John Grabowski to take another chance.
Based at Finger Lakes, Grabowski first shipped Dotsy to Saratoga for a four-length debut score in August. He took his Grade 1 shot at Belmont in her second start, and with a powerful move from third under Kendrick Carmouche, she kicked away to win by 2 3/4 lengths.
Dotsy’s owner, Thomas Paluck, told Daily Racing Form’s David Grening he was going to the Breeders’ Cup either way, and he could now do so with a horse in the event.
Trainer Mark Hennig said he also was seriously considering Rum Twist, the Frizette runner-up, for the Juvenile Fillies. He would receive a $15,000 credit for entry fees.
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