Nezwaah likely for BC Filly and Mare Turf

Nezwaah, the winner of the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland in July, is likely to start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4, and not the BC Turf against males the same day, trainer Roger Varian said in a text message on Thursday.

Varian described the Filly and Mare Turf as “plan A” for Nezwaah, who has won 5 of 11 starts and earned $299,387.

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Nezwaah was fifth as the 5-2 favorite in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine on Oct. 15 in her last start. Earlier this year, the 4-year-old filly won a minor stakes in Scotland and was fourth behind Enable in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks. Enable later won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly Racecourse in France on Oct. 1.

Nezwaah races for Sheikh Ahmed al-Maktoum and Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin Racing. By Dubawi, Nezwaah has won three stakes in her career.

The absence of Nezwaah from the BC Turf would allow Seventh Heaven to draw into the race from a list of runners not initially selected for the field by a committee of Breeders’ Cup racing officials. The BC Turf drew 20 pre-entries, but will have 14 runners.

Seventh Heaven, a 4-year-old filly trained by Aidan O’Brien, has won 5 of 13 starts and earned $1,965,626. She won consecutive Group 1 races in 2016 – the Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks.

This year, Seventh Heaven won the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Newmarket Racecourse in England against males. Seventh Heaven was 14th in the Arc.

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