Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Vorda vaults to the top with Cheveley Park win

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf picked up a starter on Saturday – and maybe the race favorite – when Vorda won the Group 1, $291,007 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The French-based Vorda, a daughter of Orpen, won for the fourth time in five starts when taking the Cheveley Park by three-quarters of a length as the favorite. Irish-bred Princess Noor finished second, with English-bred Kiyoshi, the second choice, another 1 1/4 lengths back in third in the seven-horse field for juvenile fillies going 6 furlongs on good to firm turf. Vorda had attended the early pace before taking the lead inside the final furlong to win with something left. The final time was 1:13.34.

Vorda’s only defeat came against colts, finishing second to the Scat Daddy colt No Nay Never in the Group 1 Prix Morny at Deauville at about six furlongs. Undefeated Wesley Ward-trained No Nay Never has shipped overseas twice to win stakes, one in England and one in France. Vorda had defeated colts in July in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin.

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While she has not been beyond six furlongs, Vorda is at the head of the class of the juvenile fillies in Europe and her pedigree suggests she can get the one-mile distance of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her sire, Orpen, is a son of two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Lure, and Vorda is out of Velda, by the good miler and middle-distance runner Observatory.

Last year, the Juvenile Fillies Turf was won by French-bred and -based Flotilla.

The next major prep for the Juvenile Fillies Turf is the Grade 3 Miss Grillo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Belmont Park on Oct. 6, and on the same day, at Breeders’ Cup host site Santa Anita, the Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf will be contested. On Oct. 9, the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf will be the last graded stakes on turf for juvenile fillies until the Breeders’ Cup. The Miss Grillo and the Jessamine are Win and You’re In races.