Daahyeh, Jezebel's Kitten on collision course in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Daahyeh and Jezebel’s Kitten are stabled on different continents and appear to be on the same career path this fall.

The 2-year-old fillies each won her stakes debut – Daahyeh the Group 3 Albany Stakes against 24 rivals at Royal Ascot in England in June, Jezebel’s Kitten in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Turf on Aug. 31.

They are being prepared for important stakes that could lead to a trip to Santa Anita for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Nov. 1.

Daahyeh will be favored in Friday’s Group 2 Rockfel Stakes at seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse in England. Jezebel’s Kitten is expected to run in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf Oct. 9 at Keeneland.

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Those races are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, offering a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf to the winners.

Daahyeh, trained by Roger Varian, has been second in her last two starts – the Group 2 Duke of Cambridge stakes at Newmarket in July and the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 15. The Moyglare Stud Stakes was won by Love, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien. Love earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with the win.

Other key preps to the Juvenile Fillies Turf include Sunday’s Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park, the Surfer Girl Stakes on Oct. 6 at Santa Anita, the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in Paris on Oct. 6, and the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on Oct. 11 at Newmarket. Love could run in the Fillies’ Mile.

Some runners are already set for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Abscond and Fair Maiden, first and third in the Group 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 15, will not race until the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Jezebel’s Kitten, trained by Brad Cox, is among the top domestic contenders, having won both her starts, beginning with a maiden special weight race Aug. 10 at Ellis Park. In the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Turf, Jezebel’s Kitten closed from sixth to win by 4 3/4 lengths over Ask Bailey, another expected starter in the Jessamine.

Cox said Jezebel’s Kitten needs to run well in the Jessamine to justify a trip to California.

“It will be something we’ll look at it,” he said earlier this week. “She’s got to perform well in her next race. She does not necessarily have to win, but if she does we can think of the Breeders’ Cup.”

Trainer Chad Brown has won the Juvenile Fillies Turf a record five times, including four of the last five runnings. This year, two of his hopes are Jazzique and Indochine.

Jazzique won her debut in a maiden special weight race on Aug. 28 at Saratoga and is a candidate for the Miss Grillo at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Indochine won a maiden special weight race on Sept. 14 at Belmont Park in her second start and is under consideration for the Jessamine.