Tamara set to join stablemate Kopion for BC Filly and Mare Sprint
?q=100)
ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Richard Mandella took a conservative outlook regarding his chances in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Sunday, a day after Tamara easily won her 2025 debut in the Grade 3 Chillingworth Stakes at Santa Anita.
“I’ll have two good chances,” he said.
Make that two magnificent chances, or perhaps even great ones.
Tamara will be joined in the race by the three-time graded stakes winner Kopion, who was brilliant in winning the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs in May.
The BC Filly and Mare Sprint is run at seven furlongs on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Both Kopion and Tamara are owned by Spendthrift Farm.
Tamara knows Del Mar well. In 2023, she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs, which until Saturday’s Chillingworth Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs was her only stakes win in an abbreviated career.
Tamara has had several setbacks because of injuries and illness but showed no signs of past woes in the Chillingworth. Sent off at 2-5 in a field of five, and making her first start since last November, Tamara was always near the front, took the lead in early stretch, and won by an easy 3 3/4 lengths.
“She was good and ready for this,” Mandella said.
Mandella had no interest in ranking the two 4-year-old fillies.
“I’m not sure which one is better,” he said.
Tamara was sidelined by an illness last December and by an injury to a sesamoid bone earlier this year. She resumed workouts in July. The patience has been rewarded, Mandella said.
“It was a matter of how much time we needed to get it right,” Mandella said. “The owners were very trusting to let whatever happened happen.”
Kopion did not run in the Chillingworth and will start in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint off a three-month layoff. She won the Derby City Distaff after a similar gap between starts.
Following the win at Churchill Downs, Kopion was a game second to BC Filly and Mare Turf hopeful Sweet Azteca in the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Los Alamitos in July and second to Seismic Beauty in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 2 at Del Mar. Seismic Beauty is a leading contender for the BC Distaff.
Kopion has had a steady pattern of workouts since mid-August, some on the fast side. On Sept. 24, Kopion worked a half-mile in 46.40 seconds at Santa Anita.
“She’s in good shape,” Mandella said. “I thought it might be more valuable to not run her. She’s had some good races and she runs well fresh.”
Mandella added a third expected Breeders’ Cup runner to his roster when Brave Deb recorded an upset win in Sunday’s Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-olds fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Brave Deb is a candidate for the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Oct. 31.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.