Kentucky Cup Juvenile Fillies features day's deepest field

Although the $100,000 KC Juvenile Fillies drew a graded stakes winner in Grade 3 Debutante winner Flashy Lassie – something the Juvenile and Sprint did not – her presence did little to frighten away the opposition.

Eleven other 2-year-old fillies were entered in the mile race on Polytrack, making the Juvenile Fillies, the first of the five stakes, the deepest stakes event on the Saturday Turfway card.

The large field seems indicative of horsemen eager to run their young fillies two turns in a stakes race. Aside from on turf, such opportunities have been across much of the country to this point in the year.

Flashy Lassie, a winner of two of three starts, is the most battle-tested stakes competitor of the group. Besides winning the Debutante at Churchill, she was a hard-charging second in the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies in her last race Aug. 6.

She landed in post 11, however, which puts her at risk of a wide trip with a short run to the first turn.

Kent Desormeaux, aboard for her Debutante win, is reunited aboard Flashy Lassie, a daughter of Flashy Bull owned by Barry King and trained by Garry Simms.

Rainbow Blossom and Rusticana, meanwhile, have won at the distance while running speed figures comparable to those of Flashy Lassie. Rainbow Blossom won a mile maiden race on turf at Arlington Sept. 2, while Rusticana was a four-length winner in the slop going a mile against straight maidens at Ellis Park Sept. 4.