Diverse cast sets sights on Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

The Breeders’ Cup was conceived as a season-ending event that would bring top horses from all jurisdictions together to settle divisional championships on the racetrack. That goal may again be realized in this year’s Juvenile Fillies, which in its early stages is assembling a far-flung cast of characters.

The race could key around a classic East-West showdown, as Lady Ivanka, winner of the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, takes on unbeaten Moonshine Memories, who captured the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, the signature event for the division at the track hosting the Breeders’ Cup for the first time. Lady Ivanka was bred in Oklahoma, while impressive Debutante runner-up Piedi Bianchi was bred in Indiana. Meanwhile, Amy’s Challenge has been running this season’s top juvenile Beyer Speed Figures at Canterbury and is expected to head to Kentucky for a class test in the Alcibiades at Keeneland, where she might meet Texas-bred Patrona Margarita.

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Since the inception of the Breeders’ Cup in 1984, the Juvenile and Juvenile Fillies have overwhelmingly been a factor in Eclipse Award voting. The Juvenile Fillies winner has been voted the divisional champion in 18 of the last 20 years. That record would be one better, but for the disqualification of eventual champion She’s a Tiger in 2013. The Juvenile Fillies also carries 20 qualifying points toward the 2018 Kentucky Oaks, but the last filly to win both races was Hall of Famer Silverbulletday (1998-99), who also earned divisional titles both years.

Moonshine Memories is unbeaten in two starts, both at Del Mar. When she returned to the work tab following the Debutante, trainer Simon Callaghan said Moonshine Memories will likely train up to the Breeders Cup – meaning she will come into the Juvenile Fillies having not raced beyond seven furlongs.

“Most likely, we’ll pass the Chandelier and train up to the Breeders’ Cup,” Callaghan said.

On Monday, Moonshine Memories had her first breeze since the Debutante.

“Just an easy half,” Callaghan said. “We were happy with it.”

The Grade 1 Chandelier on Sept. 30 at Santa Anita will not only offer a fees-paid berth to the Juvenile Fillies as part of the Win and You’re In program, but will continue to delineate the West’s top fillies in the absence of Moonshine Memories. Gas Station Sushi, who missed the Debutante with a temperature, should get to test her class against Piedi Bianchi.

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Lady Ivanka earned a Juvenile Fillies berth by winning the Spinaway, affirming her quality following a runaway maiden win at Saratoga. She benefitted from a good pace setup, as the previously unbeaten Pure Silver, winner of the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes earlier in the meet, and Separationofpowers dueled one another into submission.

“I think she’s very good, she’s got a very good mind,” said Rudy Rodriguez, trainer of Lady Ivanka. “She just sits there behind horses. She’s been doing that in the morning all the time, so I think she can stretch out.”

The Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs added more questions than it answered, as winner Patrona Margarita is not Breeders’ Cup-eligible and would need to be supplemented before taking advantage of her fees-paid berth.

“Right now, we’ll aim to the Alcibiades at Keeneland,” trainer Bret Calhoun said. “She trained phenomenal into this race and really was proven at a distance of ground.”

Pocahontas runner-up Kelly’s Humor also is likely to run back in the Grade 1 Alcibiades, while third-place finisher Sunny Skies appears headed to the Keeneland turf.

The Alcibiades, the division’s final Win and You’re In race, will be a key event, as the fillies exiting the Pocahontas will meet Amy’s Challenge and Bet She Wins, who have earned the top Beyers of the year for a 2-year-old filly but face major questions. Amy’s Challenge will be shipping away from Canterbury Park for the first time. Bet She Wins has never run on dirt and will earn her spot in the Alcibiades if she works well on the Keeneland surface.