Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Brown's contenders look strong

Three times in the last four years, champion trainer Chad Brown has walked into the winner’s circle after the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. With four victories, Brown is the winningest trainer in the 10-year history of the race, having also won the inaugural running at Santa Anita in 2008.

This year, Brown is expected yet again to have a leading role in the race, to be run at Churchill Downs on Nov. 2. With five weeks to race day, Brown has three promising candidates – Dogtag, who won the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 30 in her stakes debut, and the maiden race winners Fierce Scarlett and Newspaperofrecord.

This weekend, the list of contenders for the Juvenile Fillies Turf should solidify. There are three stakes for 2-year-old fillies that might produce starters for the race, two at Newmarket in England, and one at Belmont Park. Friday’s Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at seven furlongs at Newmarket drew a field of seven led by Just Wonderful, Main Edition, and Yourtimeisnow. The winner will receive a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. Saturday’s Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at six furlongs is led by Signora Cabello, a four-time stakes winner.

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Sunday’s Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park is expected to include Dogtag and Varenka, who was second in the P.G. Johnson Stakes, as well as Miss Technicality, the easy winner of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 1. Trainer Christophe Clement said Miss Technicality could start in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 10. The winner of the Jessamine receives a fees-paid berth for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Two races with automatic berths were run earlier this month. Skitter Scatter won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 16, but is unlikely to start at Churchill Downs. Trainer Patrick Prendergast said Skitter Scatter will be pointed for races in Europe next spring.

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La Pelosa earned a berth with a win in the Group 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 16, and is expected to have her next start in the Breeders’ Cup. Natalma Stakes runner-up My Gal Betty and fourth-place finisher Pivottina are candidates for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Pivottina had her North American debut in the Natalma for trainer Ludovic Gadbin. The filly, who races for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Erik Johnson of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, has since been transferred to trainer Graham Motion, according to Aron Wellman, the president of Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

The list of foreign contenders may include fillies from the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in Paris on Oct. 7. The winner receives a fees-paid berth.

The leading prep race in California is the $100,000 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 8. The list of early candidates is led by Summering, who won the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 3, and Rayana who won a maiden race at a mile on turf the same day.

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