Juvenile Fillies Turf: Harmonize displays new dimension

Harmonize stamped herself as the clear favorite for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 with a remarkable win over Sapphire Kitten in the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland on Oct. 7.

In her first two races, Harmonize, trained by Bill Mott, was involved right from the start. She set the pace before losing by a nose to Thrilled in a maiden special weight race at Saratoga on Aug. 9. In her four-length win over Thrilled in the P.G. Johnson Stakes, she had the lead early but dropped back to second before taking control in the final stages of the 1 1/16-mile race at Saratoga on Sept. 3.

In the Jessamine, Harmonize was sitting in 12th early in the 1 1/16-mile race that drew 14 horses. She was still 11th at the six-furlong call with a wall of horses standing in her way. Junior Alvarado, who rode Harmonize in all three of her starts, wheeled her outside, and she made an eye-catching move while going at least eight wide around the stretch turn.

“She was impressive,” said Mott. “She really lost a lot of ground.”

Mott liked the way she showed a new dimension.

“She was very professional,” he said. “It was nice to see that she was able to come from off the pace.”

Harmonize came out of the race in great shape and will stay at Keeneland to prepare for the Juvenile Fillies Turf.

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“I plan on breezing her next Monday,” said Mott. “She’s doing well, and we are looking forward to running her in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Trainer Simon Callaghan is hoping Mirage will make it into the Juvenile Fillies Turf. She isn’t among the top seven horses who will get in by points earned, so she will need to be chosen by the panel that selects the rest of the field.

Mirage, an Irish-bred daughter of Oasis Dream, won her debut going six furlongs in a maiden race in Britain at Brighton for trainer James Osborne.

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In her second start, in the $100,000 Surfer Girl at Santa Anita for Callaghan, Mirage made a strong move along the rail, but jockey Tyler Baze had to slam on the brakes when Lucky Folie drifted in on her at midstretch. Mirage finished third but was moved up to second when the stewards disqualified Lucky Folie for causing interference. Stays in Vegas won the one-mile race on turf by 2 1/4 lengths.

“We were happy with the way she was training going into the Surfer Girl, and you couldn’t have asked for a better race from her, especially with the added distance,” said Callaghan. “I don’t know if she was going to catch the winner, but she certainly would have been close. She should move forward, and it would be nice if she does get to run in the Breeders’ Cup.”

If Mirage makes it into the race, Callaghan is hoping for dry weather.

“She likes a firm course,” he said. “I guess that’s a 50-50 proposition though.”