Three females among 16 pre-entered in Breeders’ Cup Turf

ARCADIA, Calif. — There may be a feminine presence to the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

When pre-entries were announced on Wednesday, the list of 16 potential runners included three fillies and mares: Chicquita, Just The Judge, and Secret Gesture.

Just The Judge and Secret Gesture were also pre-entered in the $2 million BC Filly and Mare Turf on the same day, with that race listed by their owners and trainers as a first preference. Chicquita, trained by Aidan O’Brien, has the BC Filly and Mare Turf as a second preference.

The list of candidates is led by 2013 winner Magician, trained by O’Brien; Flintshire, second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Oct. 5; and Main Sequence, who is unbeaten in three Grade 1 races in New Jersey and New York this year for Maryland-based trainer Graham Motion. Flintshire is the likely favorite.

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Magician has not started since finishing second in the Arlington Million at Arlington Park on Aug. 16. At that time, Chicquita had yet to start this year, but she has since had a busy fall, finishing second in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes in Ireland on Sept. 14, 15th in the Arc, and third in the QIPCO British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes on heavy turf at Ascot last Saturday.

Chicquita’s biggest career win is the Group 1 Irish Oaks in July 2013. The BC Turf will be her first start outside of Europe.

Just The Judge won the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine last Sunday. Secret Gesture has not raced since finishing third in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville, France, in August.

The potential defections of Just The Judge and Secret Gesture to the BC Filly and Mare Turf could affect the race. They were ranked by a selection committee in the first 14 candidates among the 16 pre-entries, relegating Finnegans Wake and Starspangled Heat to an also-eligible list.

Finnegans Wake would be the first horse added to the BC Turf field if one of those fillies is entered for the BC Filly and Mare Turf on Monday, or if another horse is not entered.

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The BC Turf pre-entries include Brown Panther, who was scratched from the Canadian International at Woodbine last Sunday after unseating jockey Richard Kingscote in the warm-up and running off. Brown Panther is a true stayer, more accustomed to running in races of 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 miles in the past year, including a win in the Group 1 Irish St. Leger over 1 3/4 miles on Sept. 14.

The 1 1/2 -mile BC Turf could be too short, but is worth a try, according to co-owner Michael Owen.

“The track is not ideal, the trip is not ideal, and that downhill start won’t be ideal,” Owen told the Racing UK television network on Tuesday.
“He’s a blooming good horse, and I want him to continue next season. I might never have a horse like this again.”

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