Love faces test in Fillies' Mile

Love, the 2-year-old filly trained by Aidan O’Brien, earned a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita by winning the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes in Ireland on Sept. 15.

If she is sent to California, Love will have had a tough autumn campaign. Friday at Newmarket Racecourse in England, Love is part of a strong field of nine in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile that includes three undefeated runners – Cayenne Pepper, Quadrilateral, and Powerful Breeze.

With three weeks remaining to the Juvenile Fillies Turf, the $692,690 Fillies’ Mile is largely the last chance for a prep race before the richest grass race for 2-year-old fillies in the United States.

Quadrilateral, trained by Roger Charlton, was the 9-4 favorite in the future book with British bookmakers as of Wednesday. Owned by Juddmonte Farms, Quadrilateral, by Frankel, is unbeaten in two starts, both at Newbury Racecourse – a maiden race on Aug. 16 and a conditions race on Sept. 20.

Cayenne Pepper, owned by Jon Kelly of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and trained by Jessica Harrington, has won three races, including the Group 3 Flame of Tara Stakes at The Curragh in Ireland on Aug. 30.

Powerful Breeze, trained by Hugo Palmer, won the Group 2 May Hill Stakes for fillies at a mile on Sept. 12 at Doncaster in her stakes debut and second start.

Love has won 3 of 6 starts for trainer O’Brien, including the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at seven furlongs at Leopardstown in July. In the Moyglare Stud Stakes, Love finished three-quarters of a length in front of Daahyeh, who returned to win the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes on Sept. 27 at Newmarket, earning a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Daahyeh is rated as a leading European contender for the Juvenile Fillies Turf along with Albigna, who won the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last Sunday, earning a fees-paid berth. Albigna was sixth in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family that owns the filly, was quoted in report Wednesday that Albigna was in season on the day of the Moyglare Stud Stakes.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf is a possibility for the California-bred Warren’s Showtime, upset winner of the $100,351 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf last Sunday at Santa Anita.

Trainer Craig Lewis said Wednesday that the Juvenile Fillies Turf and the $200,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies for statebreds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita the same day are options.