As the connections of several would-be opponents ponder whether or not to try Gamine in the $1 million Filly and Mare Sprint, it has become abundantly clear that the field will be one of the shortest of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.
An eclectic field of 10 is expected at Monday’s pre-entry deadline for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and this year, for a change, the Distaff clearly reflects the international feel of Breeders’ Cup.
It is a new look for a race historically dominated by North American runners. Except for Bayakoa, Paseana and Blue Prize – Argentina expatriates who reestablished credentials in the United States prior to Breeders’ Cup wins – the Distaff is mostly for the home team.
Frankie Dettori, whose 14 Breeders’ Cup victories rank fourth among jockeys all-time, will ride longshot Blue Stripe when she makes her U.S. debut in the Distaff on Nov. 6.
Blue Stripe, 4-year-old sibling to 2019 Distaff winner Blue Prize, has won four of six in Argentina for trainer Nicolas Martin Ferro. Blue Stripe’s wins include her most recent start May 1 in the Group 1 Gran Premio Criadores, a Breeders' Cup Win and You’re In.
The highly accomplished Maxfield, second most recently in the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park, will bypass the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar and instead await the Grade 1 Clark at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26, trainer Brendan Walsh said Tuesday.
Maxfield was bred and is owned by Godolphin Racing, which has the champion colt Essential Quality, winner this year of the Travers and Belmont Stakes, pointing to the Classic.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Pocket Square, the 2 1/2-length winner of the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes on Sept. 25, will be pre-entered for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, trainer Chad Brown said over the weekend.
Brown, who initially viewed Pocket Square as a middle-distance horse, has liked the way Pocket Square has performed at 1 1/8 miles in her last two starts, most notably the way she finished the Athenia. The Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf is run at 1 3/8 miles.
Mishriff remains a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 6 despite finishing fourth in the Group 1 Champion Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in England on Saturday.
Trainer John Gosden said on Monday that Mishriff was not suited to the good-to-soft turf course at Ascot.
“He didn’t like it,” Gosden said. “They got a little bit of rain that morning.”
ELMONT, N.Y. – Mutamakina and La Dragontea, the first- and second-place finishers in Sunday’s Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, arrived back at trainer Christophe Clement’s Belmont Park barn Monday morning, and the trainer and his owners will now have some decisions to make in plotting out their futures.
Clement said he didn’t go into the E.P. Taylor with the idea of running either one back in three weeks in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, but said Monday he would need to talk things over with the owners before completely ruling it out.
ARCADIA, Calif. – There will be some anxious moments for the people behind Beer Can Man and Degree of Risk next week prior to the announcement of pre-entries for two Breeders’ Cup races on Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.
Beer Can Man, a 3-year-old colt who is a candidate for the Turf Sprint on Nov. 6, and Degree of Risk, who is being pointed to the Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5, each placed in a graded stakes in his last start and may need to be chosen by a panel of racing executives to get into the Breeders’ Cup.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Bella Sofia, the New York-based 3-year-old filly who likely will be second choice behind Gamine in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 6, will ship to California in time to get one work over Del Mar’s main track, trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Friday.
On Friday, Bella Sofia worked five furlongs in 1:01.54 over Belmont’s main track in company with the New York-bred Trinni Luck. Rodriguez said he plans to work her one more time at Belmont and then ship to California on Oct. 23.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Life Is Good, among the top 3-year-olds in training, and Malathaat, the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly division, led a quintet of Todd Pletcher-trained Breeders’ Cup hopefuls who put in workouts Friday morning over Belmont Park’s training track.
Life Is Good, the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, went a half-mile by himself in 49.08 seconds, but his gallop-out of 1:01.72, 1:13.50 and 1:26.22 is what truly impressed.
