Covfefe, Come Dancing stamp themselves as Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint favorites

Fresh off dominant victories in their final preps, Covfefe and Come Dancing have emerged as the likely favorites in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

Covfefe was an eye-catching winner Saturday in the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs. The next day Come Dancing romped in the final prep in New York, the Gallant Bloom.

“The Dogwood served its purpose, and we’re very happy with the filly,” said Brad Cox, trainer of Covfefe. “Now, we’ll have six weeks between races, which is just right.”

“We’re all set,” said Carlos Martin, trainer of Come Dancing. “We’ll train her here at Belmont until we ship early in Breeders’ Cup week. We’re thrilled to be in this position.”

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The Filly and Mare Sprint will be run at seven furlongs on Breeders’ Cup Saturday, Nov. 2, at Santa Anita. Among the other major prospects are Spiced Perfection, winner of the Grade 1 Madison in April; Mia Mischief, winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff in May; and Minit to Stardom, runner-up to Come Dancing the Gallant Bloom.

Meanwhile, a pair of 3-year-old fillies exiting the two-turn Cotillion last Saturday are eyeing a turn-back in this race. Bellafina, back home in California, definitely will be pointed to the Filly and Mare Sprint by Simon Callaghan, while Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress has been termed “possible” by Tom Amoss.

Two major preps for this race remain, both on Oct. 5. They are the six-furlong Thoroughbred Club of America at Keeneland and the 6 1/2-furlong L.A. Woman at Santa Anita. Two horses who were part of a frantic finish in the 2018 Filly and Mare Sprint could be favorites in those respective races – Chalon (second by a head) in the TCA, a Win and You’re In event, and Anonymity (third by a neck) in the L.A. Woman.

The LNJ Foxwoods of the Roth family, part-owners in 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House, are the sole owners of both Covfefe and Anonymity.

This will be the 13th running of the Filly and Mare Sprint, which has a history dotted with longshot winners, including Musical Romance (20-1 in 2011), Bar of Gold (66-1 in 2017), and Shamrock Rose (25-1 in 2018).

As good as this renewal is shaping up, it still could have been deeper under different circumstances. Among the 2019 stakes winners not under consideration for various reasons are Marley’s Freedom, Amy’s Challenge, Dream Pauline, Hotshot Anna, and the Chad Brown duo of Separationofpowers and Royal Charlotte.