Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Sweet Loretta fresh for race
The undefeated Sweet Loretta will head into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 5 as the top 2-year-old filly on the East Coast. The 1 1/16-mile race will be her first start in nine weeks.
The extended time between races is not necessarily a bad thing. Last year, trainer Todd Pletcher ran 16 horses in stakes at Keeneland over Breeders’ Cup weekend. He experienced his greatest success with horses coming in off short layoffs.
Pletcher won the Dirt Mile with Liam’s Map, finished first and third in the Distaff with Stopchargingmaria and Curalina, was second to Songbird in the Juvenile Fillies with Rachel’s Valentina, and finished fourth in the BC Mile with Mshawish. He also won the Grade 2 Fayette with Race Day.
Of Pletcher’s group, only Curalina had recently raced. Liam’s Map and Rachel’s Valentina came in off breaks of about eight weeks. Stopchargingmaria and Race Day had nine weeks between starts. And Mshawish had not run in 11 weeks.
“In retrospect, we had quite a bit of success in the Breeders’ Cup last year while forgoing the final prep races with our horses,” Pletcher said. “Sweet Loretta has three races under her belt, and we feel she will respond well with the time between races.”
Sweet Loretta, a daughter of Tapit who races for the St. Elias Stable of Vincent and Teresa Viola, joined Pletcher’s barn last winter at Palm Beach Downs. She was sent to Monmouth Park in May and won her debut there in June.
Sweet Loretta made her next two starts at Saratoga, winning the Schuylerville Stakes by 4 1/4 lengths and then holding on for a dead-heat win with Pretty City Dancer in the Grade 1 Spinaway.
Both Sweet Loretta and Pretty City Dancer were wandering during the stretch run of the Spinaway.
“Our filly was kind of drifting out,” Pletcher said. “She might have caused them to tighten up late. But she trains very professionally, and she was very professional in the Schuylerville. She got away poor and took a lot of dirt in that race.”
Sweet Loretta also was slow from the gate in the Spinaway, although she quickly recovered and moved into a contending position. She tracked the leaders to the far turn before beginning her bid.
“One thing we’ve learned is that’s kind of her style,” Pletcher said. “She doesn’t want to be rushed.”
Sweet Loretta is stabled at Pletcher’s Saratoga barn. He plans to ship her to California the week of the Breeders’ Cup.
Pretty City Dancer and Nonna Mela are no longer under consideration for the Juvenile Fillies.
Pretty City Dancer, an $825,000 yearling purchase by John Oxley, is getting 30 days of rest. Trainer Mark Casse said last week that Pretty City Dancer had come out of her Sept. 23 workout at Saratoga with a minor ankle injury and had missed some training.
“It’s unfortunate,” Casse said. “But it’s really not a big deal. Everyone says the ankle is fine and we can carry on, but I’m just not comfortable doing that. I’ve spoken to Mr. Oxley, and he’s okay with giving her time. We have very high hopes for her as a 3-year-old.”
Nonna Mela, trained by Pletcher, finished fourth in last weekend’s Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park.
Keep Quiet, trained by Graham Motion, and Yellow Agate, who races for Christophe Clement, earned the final two Win and You’re In berths in the Juvenile Fillies last week with their respective victories in the Alcibiades at Keeneland and in the Frizette.
Others under consideration for the Juvenile Fillies who have won Breeders’ Cup Challenge races are Daddys Lil Darling (Pocahontas Stakes) and Noted and Quoted (Chandelier).