Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Testa Rossi, Kitten Kaboodle lead Brown quartet

Trainer Chad Brown will have four fillies in the gate for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and any one of them could possibly win – they are that good. But Brown might not saddle the favorite, or the winner despite his numbers, in what shapes up as a very competitive race.

Brown will have 29% of the starters in the Juvenile Fillies Turf if 14 start, but the likely favorite will be either West Coast-based Clenor or French invader Vorda.

“It’s hard to separate them all,” Brown said of his quartet of pre-entered fillies Testa Rossi, Kitten Kaboodle, Ready to Act, and Granny Mc’s Kitten. “We’re taking four horses out there that we feel all have a chance to win the race, and hopefully one of them can get it done.”

The Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on grass on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita has 17 fillies pre-entered, third-most of any event for the two Breeders’ Cup cards, and four have been cross entered for the $2 million Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt on Nov. 2, with two, My Conquestadory and Dancing House, having first preference in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Ria Antonia and Rosalind with first preference in the Juvenile Fillies.

Irish-bred Clenor, trained by Doug O’Neill, has the home-court advantage, being based at Santa Anita, and she is undefeated in three starts in Southern California, including two stakes wins, after being winless in her first three starts in her native Ireland.

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: See DRF’s top contenders]

French-bred Vorda has won four of five starts, including a Group 2 stakes win over colts in the Prix Robert Papin, and appears to be the class of the European juvenile filly set. Trained by Philippe Sogorb, Vorda is a granddaughter of two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Lure and her only defeat came against colts, though she has yet to race beyond six furlongs.

Also vying for favoritism will be undefeated My Conquestadory, who beat males in her career debut in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at a mile on turf and then won the Grade 1 Alcibiades on Polytrack. Trainer Mark Casse has been wavering on the choice of race, but as of now he is leaning toward the Juvenile Fillies Turf for the daughter of Artie Schiller. He will make a decision after she works again on dirt at Churchill Downs prior to shipping.

Brown has enjoyed considerable success in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, winning with Maram in 2008 and finishing second with Watsdachances last year, and his four all have the ability to win: Testa Rossi won the Grade 3 Miss Grillo at Belmont, Kitten Kaboodle won the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland, Ready to Act won a maiden at Saratoga before losing her rider when on the lead in the stretch in the Grade 2 Natalma, and Granny Mc’s Kitten won the P.G. Johnson at Saratoga.

In recent import Testa Rossi, Brown has a filly with a late turn of foot that propelled her to victory in the Miss Grillo on Oct. 6 in her U.S. bow, coming from last. She won her previous three starts in France and appears to be the leader of Brown’s four-filly hand.

“Testa Rossi, showed an explosive turn of foot when she won the Miss Grillo coming from last to first, very quickly, around the turn,” Brown said. “I was very impressed with her turn of foot.

“Of the other three fillies I entered, they all have some turn of foot as well as early positional speed. These horses can really place themselves wherever they want.

“We’ve had good luck on the Santa Anita turf, and have won a couple of Breeders’ Cup races on it, and was second in two last year.”