Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Casse sends two who can get the job done

ARCADIA, Calif. – In September, days after Victory to Victory won the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine, trainer Mark Casse reflected on the depth of his 2-year-old turf fillies. Casse was eager to run Victory to Victory in Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita and was excited about the prospects of La Coronel, a maiden race winner at the time.

La Coronel won the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes on Oct. 12 at Keeneland, earning a fees-paid berth to Friday’s BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“Sometimes I get it right,” he said Monday.

Casse might need both runners in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The one-mile race has tremendous depth, with 12 stakes winners from United States and Europe among the 14 in the field.

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The U.S.-based fillies Coasted, Lull, and New Money Honey have each won a stakes. The European stakes winner Intricately is trained by 23-year-old Joseph O’Brien, who is taking on two runners from the stable of his father, Aidan O’Brien – Hydrangea and Roly Poly.

Casse won the 2015 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with Catch a Glimpse, who like Victory to Victory prepped with a win in the Natalma. Owned by Live Oak Plantation, Victory to Victory won for the first time in the Natalma.

“I know there are good fillies in the race and I think Victory to Victory is a good filly,” Casse said earlier this week.

La Coronel, owned by John Oxley, will start from the outside post. Casse described her post as “not perfect.”

“She lays off the pace anyway,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get over into the first turn. She’s a very good horse. She can possibly overcome it.”

Madam Dancealot, a Group 3 stakes winner in England last month, may set the pace in a race that lacks a confirmed front-runner. Expected to come from off the pace are Coasted, winner of the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga on Sept. 1; New Money Honey, winner of the Grade 3 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 2; and Lull, who was second in the Jessamine Stakes.

New Money Honey is trained by Chad Brown, who has won the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf twice, most recently with Lady Eli in 2014. New Money Honey was second in a maiden race at Saratoga in her debut Sept. 5 and won the Miss Grillo by a convincing 2 3/4 lengths.

“She needed her first start and got it all together in her second start,” Brown said. “Looking at her physically and her pedigree, she’s supposed to be getting better with racing.”

In the Miss Grillo, Rymska led in the stretch and finished second. She was trained for the race by Pia Brandt of France and has since joined Brown’s stable.

“She keeps improving and improving,” Brown said. “I’ve been impressed with her. She’s starting to look better. Maybe she got over the trip” from France.

“She acts like she’ll step forward. I’ve breezed her with strong horses, and she’s taken a hold.”

Intricately earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf when she won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 11 by a nose over Hydrangea. Intricately has not run since that race, but Hydrangea was second to stablemate Rhododendron in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket Racecourse in England on Oct. 7.

The BC Juvenile Fillies Turf will be the first start beyond seven furlongs and first race around two turns for Intricately. The course layout was very much on Joseph O’Brien’s mind this week.

“I’m not sure how much the track will play to her strength,” he said. “It’s quite a tighter track. Other than that, she’s in good form.”

Roly Poly, a Group 2 stakes winner at Newmarket in July, was second in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes to stablemate Brave Anna on Sept. 24 at Newmarket. The BC Juvenile Fillies Turf will be Roly Poly’s first start around two turns and at a mile, but the firm turf will probably help her chances, Aidan O’Brien said.

“We are interested to see what she could do on fast ground,” he said.

The surface will suit Spain Burg, who has won her last three races, including the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at seven furlongs Sept. 23 at Newmarket. She unleased a rally in the final furlong to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

A week later, Spain Burg was bought at auction for $1.68 million for Dean Reeves. The BC Juvenile Fillies Turf will be her first start for Reeves and trainer Kathy Ritvo. Ritvo has turned to jockey Frankie Dettori for the mount Friday. Dettori rode Spain Burg in the Rockfel.

“I have confidence in Frankie Dettori,” Ritvo said. “When he finds a spot, she settles and waits for him. She couldn’t be doing any better.”