Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Sky Lantern and Spring Venture claim first two spots

Two Win and You’re In races have been contested on the road toward the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Sky Lantern won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh impressively Sept. 9, and her connections have indicated an interest in sending her to Santa Anita for the Juvenile Fillies Turf, to be run Nov. 2. The consistent Irish-bred has 3 wins and 2 seconds in 5 starts, all for trainer Richard Hannon.

Spring Venture outran Spring in the Air to take the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine Sept. 15, remaining unbeaten in two starts. Both fillies are daughters of Spring At Last and are trained by Mark Casse. The trainer of third-place finisher Nancy O, Carolyn Costigan, appealed the result, saying that her horse was interfered with at the break by Spring Venture, and the Ontario Racing Commission will conduct a hearing on the matter Oct. 2. If the resulted is overturned, then Spring in the Air will be promoted to first place and get the fees-paid berth to the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Trainer Mike Maker said he will run two talented daughters of Kitten’s Joy, Kitten’s Dumplings and Always Kitten, in different stakes at Keeneland.

Kitten’s Dumplings, who made both of her starts over yielding turf, is slated for the Grade 1 Alcibiades on the Polytrack Oct. 5. After graduating around two turns at Saratoga, she was a closing fourth in the Natalma.

“She didn’t have the smoothest of trips,” said Maker. “I don’t think anybody was going to beat the winner that day, but we could have easily been second. I think a mile and a sixteenth at Keeneland will definitely help her. I’ve always said she’s my best 2-year-old filly. If she gets some firm going, I really think you’ll see a lot better horse.”

Always Kitten is aiming for the Grade 3 Jessamine on the grass Oct. 11. She captured the one-mile Happy Ticket Stakes Sept. 8 at Louisiana Downs.

Both “Kittens” are owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, who won last year’s BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with Stephanie’s Kitten. She had run third in the Natalma and first in the Alcibiades.

The next Win and You’re In event for the Juvenile Fillies Turf is the Group 1 Shadwell Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket Sept. 28.