Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Vorda, Al Thakhira among foreign starters possible

While trainer Mark Casse is trying to determine which Breeders’ Cup race My Conquestadory will run in – the $2 million Juvenile Fillies or the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf – the list of potential foreign horses pointing for the Juvenile Fillies Turf is firming up.

The leading foreign filly pointing for the race is Mohammed Bin Khalifa al-Thani’s Vorda, who has won four of five starts, including the Cheveley Park Stakes on Sept. 28 in her most recent outing. Trained by Philippe Sogorb, the French-based filly won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin over males in France and then shipped to England to win the Cheveley Park against fillies. Her only defeat came against males in the Prix Morny.

Qatar Bloodstock’s homebred Al Thakhira is under serious consideration for the Juvenile Fillies Turf after her impressive victory in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket on Oct. 12. The daughter of Dubawi drew away to a resounding 3 1/4-length victory over seven rivals in the seven-furlong race under Martin Harley for trainer Marco Botti. The trainer indicated that his filly should like the fast surface that is expected at Santa Anita for the Nov. 1 Juvenile Fillies Turf at one mile.

Juddmonte Farms’s homebred Flying Jib is under consideration for the Juvenile Fillies Turf after winning the listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Oct. 13. It was the second consecutive win for the daughter of Oasis Dream. Trained by Dermot Weld, Flying Jib has won both of her starts after coming back from a defeat in her debut in May. She has won at seven furlongs and a mile.

My Conquestadory, the winner of the Group 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on turf against males in her career debut and then of the Group 1 Alcibiades Stakes on Polytrack in her second start, is at Churchill Downs and will work over the dirt surface there so Casse can evaluate her ability on that surface, since she had trained on Polytrack at her previous base at Woodbine. A decision is expected after she has a serious work over dirt. Casse would run her in the Juvenile Fillies for the chance to earn a divisional championship, though she is bred for turf, being by Artie Schiller.

The last Win and You’re In Breeders’ Cup Challenge race was Oct. 9, the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, and was won by Kitten Kaboodle. The Kitten’s Joy filly won for the first time in three starts when taking the 1 1/16-mile race for trainer Chad Brown and Ramsey Stable. Brown, who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Maram in 2008, has three possible starters in the Juvenile Fillies Turf in Miss Grillo Stakes winner Testa Rossi, P.G. Johnson Stakes winner Granny Mc’s Kitten, and Kitten Kaboodle.