Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Despite win over course, Dreamfyre has uphill battle
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Dreamfyre is undefeated in three starts in stakes, and is the only candidate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3 with a win over the course and distance.
Those perfect credentials will not afford Dreamfyre much respect in the nation’s richest turf race for 2-year-old fillies. In the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, Dreamfyre faces a daunting task against a strong group of international and domestic runners.
“I won’t get a lot of attention,” trainer O.J. Jauregui said. “That’s okay for me.”
Dreamfyre, owned by Danny Eplin, is based at Golden Gate Fields with Jauregui. On Friday, Dreamfyre had her final work before the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, going a half-mile in 49.60 seconds on the synthetic main track.
“She did it very easily,” Jauregui said. “I didn’t want to do too much.”
Dreamfyre won the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 8 by setting a slow pace and holding off a late run from Buttercream Babe to win by a neck. The fillies exchanged bumps in the last sixteenth, an incident that was subject to an inquiry. There was no change to the order of finish.
For Dreamfyre, the Surfer Girl was her first start at a mile and on turf. She won two sprints in the summer – the Everett Nevin Stakes against males at 5 1/2 furlongs at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on July 9 in her debut, and the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 12.
Dreamfyre was withdrawn from the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 9 when she showed a lack of appetite.
While she has set the pace in each start, Jauregui said Dreamfyre should be effective as a stalker, if necessary.
“I think she can rate,” he said. “We saw a little bit of that last time.”
Dreamfyre set a slow pace of 48.59 seconds for the first half of the Surfer Girl. There is a high likelihood that the pace will be quicker in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“I think she’ll do better the second time going a mile,” Jauregui said. “She was doing two new things last time.”
Dreamfyre was pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf Sprint, but the Juvenile Fillies Turf is preferred, Jauregui said.
“I had mixed feelings of running against the boys,” Jauregui said.
Dreamfyre, by the Scat Daddy stallion Flameaway, will be Jauregui’s first Breeders’ Cup runner. A favorable result could be an early birthday present. Jauregui turns 58 on Nov. 7.
Raptor's to miss BC Turf
Raptor’s, the winner of two Group 1 marathon races on turf in Brazil in April and June, will not be shipped to California for the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.
Trainer Mark Casse said on Friday that Raptor’s has not adapted “that quickly” since arriving at his base in Florida.
“We were trying” to make the Breeders’ Cup, Casse said. “We’re going to give him a break.”
Case said Raptor’s will be pointed for races in Florida this winter.
With Raptor’s out of contention, Adhamo, third in the Grade 1 Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine on Oct. 8 in his second start of the year, will draw into the field from the also-eligible list.
Trained by Chad Brown, Adhamo is winless in four starts since the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in July 2022.
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