Just The Judge uses E.P. Taylor win as springboard to BC Filly and Mare Turf

Although Sunday’s Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine wasn’t a Win and You’re In race for the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, it essentially served as one for Just The Judge.

Off since a third-place finish in the Beverly D. Stakes on Aug. 16 at Arlington, she needed what her connections felt was a good race to run her back on less than two weeks’ rest in the Breeders’ Cup. And she delivered, winning the E.P. Taylor by a half-length, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure, and overcoming a poor start.

If able to run as quickly at Santa Anita in the Breeders’ Cup, she will be a force. By comparison, Stephanie’s Kitten, widely considered the top U.S. mare pointing for the race, has a season-high Beyer of 98 this year, posted in winning the Grade 1 Flower Bowl.

Dank ran a 104 Beyer in winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last year, and she is expected to return to defend her title, but her form in 2014 has paled in comparison to what she had done at this stage in 2013.

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Just The Judge, trained by Britain Charlie Hills, is expected to remain in Canada until Thursday, when she will ship to California for the Breeders’ Cup.

Although E.P. Taylor third-place finisher Deceptive Vision is already a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race winner, she is not expected to return in the Breeders’ Cup, nor any other E.P. Taylor runners aside from the winner.

Elsewhere, the connections of Crown Queen, winner of the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes on Oct. 11 at Keeneland, have elected to bypass the Breeders’ Cup with her. A 3-year-old filly, she would have faced older, more experienced runners in the Filly and Mare Turf if she had run. A half-sister to Royal Delta, she is unlikely to race again this year.

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Pre-entries will not be released until Wednesday, but at least one mare, Dayatthespa, has been pre-entered in both the BC Mile and BC Filly and Mare Turf, one of her owners, Peter Bradley, posted Monday on Twitter.

A multiple Grade 1 winner against her own gender, Dayatthespa has never raced beyond 1 1/8 miles, a furlong shorter than the Filly and Mare Turf.

European Veda may also be pre-entered in the same two races. She has been campaigned as a miler in France.