Impressionnante can top males

Impressionnante may just be good enough to give her 11 male rivals a beating in a highly competitive renewal of the $511,000 Prix Jean Prat, Sunday's Group 1 mile for 3-year-olds at Chantilly.

A Danehill filly trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, Impressionnante was a course-and-distance winner at the Group 2 level when she won the Prix de Sandringham against her own age and sex on June 4. Impressionnante had previously been an unlucky third in the French 1000 Guineas, in which she was placed second via the disqualification of Price Tag. Olivier Peslier takes the ride in the blue and white colors of the Wertheimer brothers.

Stormy River, third in the French 2000 Guineas and second in the St. James's Palace Stakes, is the likely favorite, but equally dangerous are Kentucky Dynamite, who took the one-mile Group 3 Prix de la Jonchere at Chantilly on June 11; Boris de Deauville, who won his maiden race last time in the 1 1/8-mile Group 3 Prix de Guiche; and Ivan Denisovich, who showed signs of life when he finished third in the St. James's Palace at Royal Ascot three weeks ago.