Five fillies among eight set to contest Prix Morny
There are five fillies among the eight runners in Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Morny at six furlongs on turf at Deauville Racecourse in France.
One of them – Different League – could be bound for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 3. Different League won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. After the race, Con Marnane, husband of owner Theresa Marnane, mentioned the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf as a long-range goal.
The $411,320 Prix Morny on a straightaway course will be difficult enough.
Aside from Different League, five runners won their last starts in stakes – Havana Grey (who won the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse on Aug. 2), Unfortunately (Group 2 Prix Robert Papin at Maisons-Laffitte on July 23), Zonza (Group 3 Prix du Bois at Deauville on July 1), Tantheem (Group 3 Prix de Cabourgh at Deauville on July 31) and Nyaleti (Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot on July 29).
High Dream Milena was fourth in the Prix Robert Papin, but raced in traffic in the final furlong and was only beaten 1 1/4 lengths in her stakes debut and second start.
Havana Grey, Unfortunately and the maiden Dameron are the only males in the race.
The Prix Morny is the top race for 2-year-olds at the Deauville summer meeting. Sunday’s program includes the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf.
So Mi Dar, a winner of four of six starts for trainer John Gosden of England, will be favored in a field of 10 in the $293,800 race.
So Mi Dar won her first four starts. She was third in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera at Chantilly Racecourse last October in her final start of 2016, and fifth on soft turf in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on Aug. 3 in her lone start this year.
Left Hand has been racing against males in recent starts, finishing 12th in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly last October, fourth in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly in June, and fifth in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in Paris on July 2.
Left Hand won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Chantilly last September.