Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Percy's Bar takes another shot at Tommy Jo
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The field for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 31 at Del Mar will come into sharp focus this weekend with three preps for the 1 1/16-mile race being held across the country.
Tommy Jo, who is the 3-1 favorite on the early Juvenile Fillies line set by Daily Racing Form’s David Aragona, will make her two-turn debut Friday at Keeneland in the Grade 1, $650,000 Alcibiades.
Explora, the early 5-1 second choice for the Juvenile Fillies, will stretch out Saturday at Santa Anita in the Grade 2, $200,000 Oak Leaf.
And in New York, a field of 11 will contest the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on Saturday at Aqueduct.
The Frizette is part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen series that awards bonuses based on finishes, in monies earmarked for pre-entry and entry fees. The Alcibiades and Oak Leaf are Breeders’ Cup Challenge races that carry fees-paid berths into the Juvenile Fillies.
Tommy Jo has won both of her starts, including the Grade 1 Spinaway by 6 1/2 lengths over Percy’s Bar on Aug. 30 at Saratoga. Percy’s Bar will take another swing at Tommy Jo in the Alcibiades and with the right kind of performance could set herself up for a start in the Juvenile Fillies.
“Let’s see what happens Friday,” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “We know we’ve got our work cut out for us running against a filly of her quality. She’s at the top of the list as far as 2-year-old fillies in this country. We’re just happy to be in a race like the Alcibiades, and it looks like it’s a pretty good chance to showcase our filly and we’re excited.”
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Colebrook said the Alcibiades has long been the goal for Percy’s Bar, a daughter of Upstart who is based at Keeneland. She won her career debut at the Lexington, Ky., track before capturing the Debutante at Churchill Downs. From there, Percy’s Bar traveled to Saratoga and closed for second in the Spinaway under regular rider Luan Machado.
“I think the Saratoga race got us fit – now we’re just maintaining it,” Colebrook said. “Luan said after the Saratoga race that she was tired for the first time in her life. So, you know, she’d won the first two so easily, she probably didn’t get as much fitness as she needed to going into Saratoga, which is a deeper track, going seven furlongs.
“We tightened her up at Saratoga, and I think we should see her best on Friday. Now, we just don’t know if her best is good enough against the best 2-year-old filly in the country. She’s pretty spectacular, that Tommy Jo. We’ve got all the respect in the world for her, but I’m hoping Keeneland, home track, can turn things in our favor a little bit.”
If so, the best might be yet to come for Percy’s Bar.
◗ Bottle of Rouge, who won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante earlier this month, worked Monday at Santa Anita. She went a half-mile in 47.80 seconds. Bottle of Rouge is the 8-1 third choice on the early line for the Juvenile Fillies.
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