Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Naughty Gal out, Sabra Tuff in
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Naughty Gal, who would have been a huge price in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, has been withdrawn from consideration by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas for the Nov. 4 race at Keeneland, making way for one of the pre-entered horses on the alternates list.
Naughty Gal had been included in the main body of 14 for the Juvenile Fillies on the strength of her victory in the Grade 3 Adirondack at Saratoga in August. However, in her two subsequent starts, the Florida-bred daughter of Into Mischief was a distant ninth of 10 in the Grade 1 Spinaway, then virtually eased when last of 12 in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland earlier this month.
Naughty Gal is entered instead in the $200,000 Rags to Riches, the co-feature of the opening-day card Sunday at Churchill Downs. Her defection from the Breeders’ Cup definitely allows Sabra Tuff into the Juvenile Fillies, and probably Alma Rosa, too. Another horse in the main body, Xigera, has the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf as her first preference and most likely will be entered in that spot when entries are taken Monday.
Sabra Tuff, a Louisiana-bred trained by former Lukas assistant Dallas Stewart, most recently was fifth at 74-1 in the Alcibiades. Alma Rosa won an ungraded stakes at her home base, Delaware Park, in her latest start Oct. 14 for Gelfenstein Farm and trainer Bernardo Lopez.
As of Thursday, and in order of preference, these three fillies remain as alternates for the BC Juvenile Fillies: Hoosier Philly, Born Dapper, and Showgirl Lynne B.
Lukas, 87, has won the Juvenile Fillies a record five times, the most recent coming in 2014 at Santa Anita with 61-1 shot Take Charge Brandi.
Schumer bids farewell
This is the last meet at Keeneland with Dr. Barry Schumer as the track physician, a position he has held since 1982. Aside from caring for horsemen and fans in need of onsite medical care during race meets, Schumer also spearheaded the development of several programs that have become standard practice throughout the racing industry.
Schumer, a horse owner and avid handicapper who maintains a private medical practice in Lexington, was heavily involved in ground-breaking initiatives such as the Jockey Health Information System and authoring jockey concussion protocols that have become widely used in American racing, along with authoring NTRA minimum standards for racetrack first-aid facilities. His duties at Keeneland are being assumed by University of Kentucky HealthCare.
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