Longshots enter the picture in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The final major preps for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies were held last weekend, with longshots taking both the Alcibiades and Frizette over rain-soaked tracks.
British shipper Peace and War paid $48.20 after rallying from far back to take a fast-early, slow-late running of the Alcibiades by a half-length, while By the Moon was prominent every step of the way while rolling to a 2 1/4-length victory in the Frizette. She paid $50.50.
Frizette favorites Condo Commando (9-10) and Cavorting (2-1) finished fourth and seventh in the seven-horse field. The top two wagering choices in the Alcibiades, Gap Year (2-1) and Fashion Alert (3-1), finished seventh and sixth in a 12-horse lineup.
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Olly Stevens, the trainer of Peace and War, and Michelle Nevin, who conditions By the Moon, both intend to move on to the Breeders’ Cup.
Peace and War and By the Moon earned fees-paid berths into the Juvenile Fillies because the Alcibiades and Frizette are Win and You’re In races. The other Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series race winners are Angela Renee, who won the Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita, and Cristina’s Journey, the winner of the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs.
The Frizette was contested over a sloppy track at Belmont Park. The new dirt surface at Keeneland, which was being raced over for the first time Alcibiades Day, was termed “wet-fast” on the Equibase results chart.
Trainer Al Stall Jr. sent out Top Decile, the Alcibiades runner-up under Rosie Napravnik.
“Both Rosie and the horse came back covered in so much mud, it was amazing,” he said. “Never seen anything like it, and I’m from Louisiana. I know mud.”
Stall said Top Decile will be pointed for the Juvenile Fillies. She broke slowly in the Alcibiades, as did Peace and War, and lagged far back early. She launched a strong bid on the far turn and made a short lead in midstretch before being outfinished.
The race was in contrast to her winning debut at Saratoga, where she showed speed to win going 6 1/2 furlongs.
“She didn’t break, but it may have been a blessing in disguise after they went 22 and 45,” Stall said of the Alcibiades. “It was a good learning experience. She handled it all unbelievable. We are definitely planning on going to the Breeders’ Cup off it.”
In other Juvenile Fillies news:
◗ Kiaran McLaughlin said Cavorting came out of her seventh-place finish in the Frizette well and that she will be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup.
Cavorting, a strong winner of the Adirondack Stakes at Saratoga in her prior start, went to the lead in the Frizette, showed the way to the stretch, and then tired.
“She’s a very nice filly,” McLaughlin said Monday. “It’s a shame it had to rain, and it appears the inside was not the place to be that day. We’re just going to draw a line through the race and point her to the Breeders’ Cup. We’ll hope everything goes well and adjust as need be.”
◗ Wonder Gal and Feathered, the Frizette second- and third-place finishers, also will be pointed to the Juvenile Fillies, their trainers confirmed on Monday. Wonder Gal is trained by Leah Gyarmati; Feathered by Todd Pletcher.
◗ Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Monday he was pleased with how Condo Commando came out of her fourth-place finish in the Frizette but that he had not yet spoken with her owners about future plans.
“So far, so good,” Rodriguez said. “She is doing fine.”
◗ Paige, who finished third in the Alcibiades, is under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup, said trainer Donnie Von Hemel.
◗ Danette, the third-place finisher in the Chandelier at Santa Anita on Sept. 27, is also possible for the race, according to trainer Keith Desormeaux. Danette is still a maiden.
◗ Trainer Dale Romans has arranged for Pocahontas winner Cristina's Journey to be flown to California next Monday. Cristina's Journey has had three workouts at Churchill Downs since her Sept. 6 win.
◗ Todd Pletcher said via text that Fashion Alert came out of the Alcibiades fine but will not go to the Breeders' Cup.