Fourteen of the SIM’s best two-year-old fillies to put it on the line in the Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly
The Grade I Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly will take place this Saturday in Kentucky. It will feature 14 of the best two-year-old fillies that the SIM has to offer including five Grade I winners, three Grade II winners, and two Grade III winners. Every single one of the filles has either won or placed in a Graded race already in their young careers and this looks to be a competitive race. The dirt is scheduled to be fast and the weather nice on this fall afternoon. Let’s take a look at our field for the Grade I Breeders’ Bowl Juvenile Filly.
Name Owner Sire Odds
- Highest Archangel luvit More Than Ready 14/1
Dam Background: Scratchbred (More Than Ready X Indian Charlie X Carson City)
Racing Background: Began her racing career in February at the allowance level and not the MSW level. That didn’t slow her down however as she sat in the 9 spot and made a great move in the stretch. She would earn herself a respected 72 speed figure for that win in her first race. She would then jump into the stakes ranks, run a 73 speed figure, and finish a close 2nd in a start two months later. A jump into the Graded ranks was in store for this filly and she showed in May that she belongs running an 80 speed figure and winning the Grade III Mother’s Day. She wasn’t about to stop there though as she would again provide some fireworks on the 4th of July winning the Grade II Lean Machine Stakes. Her speed of an 83 once again increased. Last time out, in August, she would once again increase her speed figure to 86 and just narrowly miss winning the Grade I Getaway Stakes at 7 furlongs. She would finish 2nd though and hasn’t failed to hit the board in any race so far. Race distances have been conservative for her in her five races so far going 5F-5F-6F-6.5F-7F in her five races. This will be a furlong and a half jump and first race at a mile+ distance. How will that affect her when some of the others this weekend are tested at the longer distances?
Race Predicted Position: Look for her to sit well off the pace as we head into the first turn and a little bit down the backstretch. It wouldn’t surprise me to see her sitting 6th-10th before trying to make a move. She hasn’t tried the mile+ distances yet in her career so it’s tough to say whether the added distance will be too much for her to overcome in the stretch or whether it will help give her more ground to claim the lead in the stretch. She’s never finished worse than 2nd, so expect her to be making a charge late.
2. Always Bold simsters6 Always Dreaming 9/1
Dam Background: Favors The Bold (Medaglia D’Oro X A.P. Indy) had a nice career running 34 races and finishing 16-5-2 in those races. She was no stranger to the winners circle, though she never won more than a listed stakes race. She was a listed stakes winner on both surfaces which is an interesting stat for her. Always Bold is her 6th offspring and the first to win a listed stakes race.
Racing Background: Four wins in five races including a Grade I victory last time out in the Darley has this filly looking for three in a row as she heads to the track this Saturday. She would break her Maiden on May 2st in a $5,000 HOT before coming back and taking down an NW2L conditioned allowance field. Both of those races were at the 6.5 furlong distance but the speeds were key as she improved upon her initial 60 speed to run a 77 in the conditioned allowance. Both of those races were in May and she would take June off before coming back in July and struggling a bit in the Grade III Canada Day. In that race, she would improve her speed to an 80 but it was on a wet track and she finished out of the money though she did manage a 4th place finish. She would take about six weeks off and her connections wanted to wait for the longer distances. That would prove to be just what the doctor ordered as she would win her first mile race, a conditioned allowance, by two lengths and run an 86 speed figure. That leads us to last time out where, as we previously mentioned, she took down the Grade I Darley with an impressive 97 speed figure.
Race Predicted Position: One that likes to sit about mid-pack, she has come back from 5-6 lengths in each of her last two races to win. Impressive was probably her race last time out where she took down some Grade I competition and was six lengths back before making a move. With the slew of horses in this one that like to sit just off the pace, we could see this filly sitting further back than a lot of other horses though if she ends up too far back (8-10 lengths) then she’ll probably have too much ground to make up.
3. Exaggerative manndar Exaggerator 13/1
Dam Background: Sky Hook T (Sky Mesa X Afleet) was a lightly raced filly running just 14 career races and finishing 1-0-1. She never won more than her maiden and that was a $50,000 Maiden Claimer tag. Her lone third place finish came against MSW competition in her two year old year. Exaggerative is actually her first offspring and has already won more races and dollars in her two year old career than mom had in her entire racing career.
Racing Background: Has failed to hit the board just twice in her seven career starts so far. It did take her a couple of tries to break her maiden back in February of this year. She did manage to do it though and jumped right into stakes company. She would win that listed stakes race running a 73 speed figure in March and follow that up with a 2nd place finish in the Grade III Mothers Day. In June, she would struggle a bit and finish 5th in the Grade II Stoker Handicap. That would lead to a bit of a break and she wouldn’t run again until the mile races started for two-year-olds. However, that mile distance suited her well as she ended up running 1st in a conditioned NW3L allowance race. Her speed figure jumped nine points to an 88 though and that would be enough for her connections to try the Grade I Walnut Tree Stakes. She ran exceptionally well in that one about six weeks ago where she finished 1st and ran an impressive 93 speed figure. The jump to 8 furlongs has made all of the difference for this one and it will be interesting to see how she does against tough competition today.
Race Predicted Position: Has shown in her last two races at 8.5 and 8 furlongs that she can run near the pace or well off the pace and win. Overall, with the amount of fillies today that like to run just off the pace today, it wouldn’t surprise me to see her sitting a little further back in th pack though the distance from the pace setter shouldn’t be much. She’ll need a strong stretch run and may need to start her run a little earlier than she might be used to because of the amount of horses that will be making a late push.
4. Dawngoesdowntoday theblackcircle Quality Road 5/1
Dam Background: Scatterlings (Kingmambo X Storm Cat) had a pretty solid race career winning four races in 25 starts. However, what is more impressive is that she finished second 10 times and showed 3 times as well. Her career winnings were just over $200,000 and she did win one listed stakes race. She has produced one Grade I winner, in addition to Downgoestoday, in her 9 offspring. She has also produced four Graded placed runners and five listed stakes winners.
Racing Background: Three wins in five races so far for this filly out of Quality Road. She would start her career in April by taking down a mid-sized MSW field. From there, she would jump immediately into the Graded ranks running 3rd and 2nd in the Grade II Vermont BB Juvenile Filly and the Grade III Canada Day. Unfortunately, without a win, her connections decided to test the mile+ waters in a conditioned allowance. She proved there that this was exactly what she needed and won that conditioned allowance race running a then-career best 92 speed figure. From there, she would test the Grade I waters in the Frickazee Stakes and improve upon that 92 speed figure by running a 96 and once again winning. It’s one of the few horses that have ran multiple races at a mile+ so far and she is undefeated in those two races just like the filly we just discussed previously.
Race Predicted Position: Another filly that likes to sit 3-5 lengths off the pace before making a late charge. Overall, she should fit in well there and with her results at the mile+ distance, I believe that she will want to sit no further back than the above mentioned lengths. If she gets any further back, with the amount of fillies that will want to sit around the same distance, I believe she will find herself in a tough position come the end of the race.
5. Itshelltogetold simsters4 Var 12/1
Dam Background: Everything Goes (Seeking The Gold X Northern Dancer) ran 21 career races and finished 7-6-2 in those races. With career earnings just shy of $200,000, she won a listed stakes race but struggled in her only Graded attempt of her career. She has produced 11 offspring and Itshelltogetold is the first Grade I winner. Other offspring have been a Grade II winner and two listed stakes winners. She has done much better with colts than fillies in the shed so far.
Racing Background: She has managed to increase her speed figure in every one of her first five starts. After winning back to back races to start her career, she made the jump to the Graded ranks. In those two wins, a MSW and conditioned allowance field, she would run 71 and 76 speed figures. Speeds struggled to increase though in race three where she ran just a 77 and finished 4th in the Grade III Butterfly Futurity. A month later in the Grade II Hoserhead Juvenile Filles, she would increase that speed to 84 but still manage just a 2nd place finish. Her best career race last time out got her that coveted Grade I win in the Getaway Stakes where she ran an 89 speed figure and bested the 11 horse field by 1 ¼ lengths. Another filly in this race that hasn’t raced over the mile distance just yet. It will be interesting to see how the increase in distance helps or hurts her this weekend. Her last two races have both been distance increases and she ran two back-to-back career best speed figure increases.
Race Predicted Position: She showed in her last race that sitting a little further off the pace isn’t going to slower her down in the stretch and you can expect more of the same as we head into the race this weekend. With showing last time out that she can sit well near the back of the pack, I would expect her to try more of the same this time out. Overall, I believe that that gives her the best chance heading into this weekend.
6. Stormpire 2020massatoga2 Classic Empire 11/1
Dam Background: Scratchbred (Classic Empire X Forty Niner X Storm Cat)
Racing Background: She would begin her career running in three straight months from February through April. In those three races, she would finish 2nd, 1st, and 1st in a MSW, Allowance, and Grade III race. After taking a few months off, she would jump into the Grade II ranks but could only manage a 10th place finish. A month later, she would finish 7th in the Grade II Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies. She struggled in both of those races, though she did manage to increase her speed figure in both races running a 75 and 76 speed figure respectively. She would run a double in September running on the 5th in the URC Spinaway in which she would run an 82 speed figure and finish 2nd. She would then run in the Grade I Darley in which she would finish 2nd as well. However, her last time out has to be very encouraging for her connections as she ran a speed figure of 96 in her first attempt at 8.5F. As this race is at the same distance, it looks as though she will be able to hang.
Race Predicted Position: She hasn’t won a race in which she hasn’t jumped right out into the lead. In fact, she’s faded heavily in the two races where she hasn’t been leading at the halfway point. That will be an important point to watch as they start to close in on that 2nd turn. If she is running in the lead, chances are that she will be right there in the end. However, if she is sitting off the pace setter, it will be a lot tougher for her to be there in the end. Important to note that she hasn’t been able to hang on to a win since April and that was at 4.5 F. Overall, she’ll want to be way out in front as there will be a lot coming up behind her in the end.
7. Rightdownthealley kroth Flower Alley 14/1
Dam Background: Hercomesdaking (Bernardini X Kingmambo) finished her 36 race career winning 10 races, placing in 8 races, and showing in 4 races. Her career earnings of just over $330,000 came mostly in allowance company both conditioned and open levels. She never won a race above the allowance in her career. She has produced four offspring so far and each of her first three struggled on the track. A few allowance race winners were all that they managed until Rightdownthealley won her Grade III race.
Racing Background: Interesting enough, this girl started 2/2 and won her first two races on both the grass and the dirt. After breaking her maiden on the dirt, she would run in a conditioned allowance on the grass and, as previously mentioned, win her second in a row. Those two races in April and May would lead to her first listed stakes attempt in June. She would increase her speed figure 9 points but ran just 4th in that race. Not giving up, her connections would run her back at the listed stakes ranks about six weeks later where she would, once again, improve her speed figure and run 2nd. All four of her first races were either at the 5 furlong or 5.5 furlong mark. Taking a chance to see what she had at the mile distance, she would run in the Grade III Chicago-DC Lassie. She didn’t disappoint as she increased her speed figure 15 points and ran a 94 while besting the 14 horse field. It was certainly the jump that they were looking for out of her and was enough to throw her into the Breeder’s Bowl this weekend.
Race Predicted Position: Another filly that has shown that she can run with the lead or off the pace. Unfortunately, I think you can throw out running style in the first four races as they were all short sprints. What she is really going to want to duplicate is the effort in the mile Grade III that she took last time out. In that race, she sat just off the pace in the fourth position before winning it in the stretch. With the small number of horses that like to set or sit near the pace, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her set the pace or sit just a length or two back as we head down the backstretch.
8. Inferno Hellion beermug Curlin 12/1
Dam Background: Scratchbred (Curlin X Carson City X Candy Ride)
Racing Background: She would start her career by breaking her Maiden in May and follow that up in a conditioned allowance race one month later. While she would run just 2nd in that race, it was enough for her connections to jump into the Graded company in July. In the Grade II Hoserhead Juvenile Fillies, she would manage just an 8th place finish and struggled against stakes company. Her connections decided to drop her back down into conditioned allowance company. However, she would make the jump to a mile in distance and that would make all the difference as she would win an NW2L and increase her speed figure by 10 points. That would be enough for her to jump back into the Graded ranks and run in the Grade I Walnut Tree Stakes where she would again increase her speed figure by 10 points (to 90) and run a strong 2nd place finish. One thing that may be of importance to her today is that she has had a little over a month and a half off. Her longest break since starting her racing career back in May of this year.
Race Predicted Position: Looks to sit anywhere from 2-4 lengths off the pace. Whether she’ll have company there or not could determine where she finishes up. She has done well with the increase in distance, but still couldn’t do anything in her race where she was more than 5 lengths off the pace. The distance seems doable for her if she can be about 3-4 lengths back around the midway point of the race. Overall, she’ll probably be near the front unless it’s a quicker pace.
9. Ignore the Noise alysalley Nicanor 13/1
Dam Background: Liveandinconcert (Rahy X Concerto) had a short racing career running 12 races and finishing 2-2-0 in those races. She earned just under $50,000 on the track and her only two wins came against MSW and claiming company. She has produced 11 offspring so far, but hasn’t had much luck outside of allowance wins. Ignore the Noise is the first offspring to win a stakes or Graded race in the first 11 foals.
Racing Background: Our most heavily raced filly actually started off in the claiming ranks. After winning back to back open level claimers in January and February, she would win her third in a row in a conditioned allowance. Each of those first three races were all local bred races for the Maryland area. Even though speeds weren’t anything great, 64,63,and 68 in those three wins, it was enough for her connections to jump into the Graded ranks. Her first stop in May would be the Grade III Unusual Circumstances Juvenile where she would increase her speed to a 75 but lose her first race running 2nd. She would once again try the Grade III level in the Buggerfly Futurity and increase her speed figure to 80 but finish 3rd. Her mark was stamped though in July by winning the Grade II Hoserehead Juvenile Fillies by ¾ lengths and running an 86 speed figure. That would be enough for her last two race attempts to be at the Grade I level. In the Getaway Stakes she would run an 83 and finish 4th and in the Frickazee Stakes she would run an impressive 94 speed figure and finish 2nd. The Frickazee, her race last time out, was her first attempt at the mile distance, so the fact that she ran a 94 speed figure has to have the connections feeling good.
Race Predicted Position: One of the few fillies that likes to set the pace, look for her to be on the lead or just a little bit off the lead. Interesting enough, she has shown that she can win when setting the pace, and she has shown that she can win sitting a little off the pace as well. In her Grade II win, she was actually sitting 4th before coming back and winning the race. There isn’t a ton of early speed in this one, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see her as the pace setter. She hasn’t won setting the pace since her 5 furlong conditioned allowance win back in April.
10. Seeking The Kegger beermug Quality Road 9/1
Dam Background: Scratchbred (Quality Road X Seeking The Gold X Tapit)
Racing Background: One of the more lightly raced fillies in the field today is also one of the better odds fillies in the race. She didn’t begin her racing career until June earlier this year and ran 3rd in her MSW at 6.5 furlongs. Instead of going back to the MSW level, her next race two months later would be in a conditioned allowance field and she would improve upon her initial 72 speed figure and run an 87 speed figure while besting the field to break her maiden. She would make the immediate jump into the Graded ranks and run in the Grade II Camlaw Stakes late in September where she would again best the field in her first attempt over a mile while improving her career best speed to 89. That’s it for this lightly raced filly who hasn’t failed to hit the board in the first three races. Can she continue that streak this weekend and will she make it three in a row? Those are the questions on the connections minds.
Race Predicted Position: Though she has had just three career races, she will want to sit very close to the pace in order to have a shot in this one. In her first career race, she sat a little further off the pace (3.5 lengths) and it was just too much to make up in the end. While she has sat a little further off the pace than that in her first win, the increase in distance certainly helped. I would expect her no more than five lengths off the pace and if she is, I don’t see a path for her. However, if she can remain less than five back by the halfway point, I think she has as good a shot as any.
11. Haptics zenyatta10 Frosted 13/1
Dam Background: No Communication (Majesticperfection X More Than Ready) had a nice racing career running 33 races and finishing 8-4-5 in those races. She won multiple listed stakes races and was Graded placed at two. Her career earnings total just over $400,000. Haptics is her first offspring and won a Grade I at the age of two much like her mother.
Racing Background: One of the more heavily raced fillies in the field, this girl as seven races under her belt including four against graded competition. She’s only had one race outside of stakes competition and that was first time out in which she broke her maiden pretty easily at 5.5 furlongs. She would follow that up by running 2nd in a listed stakes race one month later in April. In May, she would win her first stakes race and that would send her on a four race winning streak including a listed stakes, the Grade III Butterfly Futurity, the Grade II Red Fish Blue Fish stakes, and the Grade 1 Equinics- Petra. Her speeds would increase in every one of those races going from 74 in her listed stakes win to 86 in that Equinics win. She ran a double in August and underwhelmed in the Grade 1 Getaway Stakes on the 30th of that month. Her speed actually dropped to an 83 and she ran just 5th in the 11 horse field. She has had over two months off and got a nice rest after racing seven times in a six month span. She’ll look to get back into her Equinics form this weekend. It’s important to note that she has never raced over the 7 furlong mark and hasn’t won at a distance above the 6.5 furlong mark so the jump in distance will be an interesting step for her.
Race Predicted Position: She doesn’t mind sitting a little bit off the pace, but hasn’t been more than five lengths back in any of her wins. It’s tough to judge whether the increase in distance will help or hurt her. With her ability to come back in the stretch, she certainly could fall a little further back in the field, but will falling further back help or hurt her. It will be interesting to see where her jockey sets up as we hit the first turn and into the backstretch.
12. Explosive Hot given4 Into Mischief 10/1
Dam Background: Explosive Nine (Bernardini X Forty Niner) ran 23 career races and finished 8-5-0 in those races. She is one of the few mares to have won a Grade I and produce a Graded winner as well. Her lone career Grade I win came just after she turned three years old. She has produced five offspring though her last two have certainly been the best. She was the mother of Grade II winner Explosive road last year and Explosive Hot looks to make back-to-back Graded winners for her offspring.
Racing Background: A nice filly out of the always tough Given stables whose best race came last time out at the 8.5 furlong distance. She ran a nice initial race in a $5.000 HOT back in April. While it wasn’t the result that her connections hoped for, she did run a respectable 70 speed figure for a first time out. She would break her maiden next time out by increasing her speed figure to a 73 and running against just the girls. Her first attempt against conditioned allowance fillies didn’t go as planned. She would run just a 78 speed figure and finish 4th in that race. A nice break and increase in distance proved to be just what she needed, however. She would follow up that disappointing 4th place finish by running a then-career best 83 speed figure and capture the win at a mile against conditioned horses in an NW2L. That was enough for her connections to make the jump to the Graded ranks. In late September, she would run in the 8.5 furlong Grade I Darley. While she didn’t best that field, she did manage to increase her speed figure once again—running a 92 speed figure and ran a respectable 3rd place. She’s ran once every about 5-6 weeks, so she is right on schedule to run again and that should provide her with a good opportunity as we head into the race.
Race Predicted Position: While she will probably be sitting well off the pace, there will come a point where she won’t want to go too much further back. It showed back in the only race where she failed to hit the board. While she wasn’t too far back length wise, she was behind a lot of other fillies and struggled to catch up in the stretch. The increase in distance has provided a little padding for her to sit further back as evidenced in her last race where she was seven lengths back and ended up 3rd against a Grade I field. Overall, I would say being 5-7 lengths back would be a good position for her, though that might put her behind a lot of other fillies in this one as well.
13. Suprblood Wolfmoon philippines American Pharoah 18/1
Dam Background: Papua Theft (A.P. Indy X Mr. Prospector) won nearly $700,000 on track during her career. She finished her career with 48 races and went 9-4-6 in those races. She was a Grade I winner at two and won multiple different stakes races at different ages throughout her career. She has 12 offspring so far with pretty good results including a Grade I winner, a Grade II winner, and four listed stakes winners. She hasn’t produced a Graded winner since 2015.
Racing Background: If the pattern sticks, she should win this race. After running 2nd in her first maiden attempt back in April, she would follow that up by breaking her maiden in May. She would run 2nd in a conditioned allowance after taking about 2 months off and then run first in a conditioned allowance one month later. Each of those first four races would prove an increase in speed figures from 71-78-83-84. Likewise, she would increase in distance in three of the four races by running at 6.5 furlongs in both maidens before running 7 furlongs and a mile in the two conditioned allowance races. That leads us to her race last time out. If you are following the pattern then you guessed right in that she ran 2nd in her first attempt at Graded company. In that race, she would once again increase the distance to 8.5 furlongs and increase her speed figure to 91. She’s had about a month and a half off and has been pretty consistent in running either first or second. This weekend’s race, we will see if the patter continues and she wins her first Grade 1 or if the pattern breaks and she once again drops a Graded attempt.
Race Predicted Position: Another filly that will look to sit mid-pack as we start to move into final turn, if she is more than 5+ lengths back, she will have a tough time coming back. She seems pretty comfortable being about 3-4 lengths back however and should sit just off the pace. There isn’t a ton of early speed in this one, but there are a lot of fillies that like to sit just a little bit back off the pace. We will see if that causes a crowd for her and if so, does she sit further back or push the pace just a little bit more?
14. Western Fantasy nexty Tapit 6/1
Dam Background: Darktwistedfantasy (Giant’s Causeway X Gone West) ran 22 career races and finished 5-3-4 in those races. She never won more than an allowance race and never even attempted a stakes race in her career. She did win allowance races on both surfaces and against both female and male competition. She has produced four foals so far in her breeding career, all of which have won either a stakes race or a Graded race. She’s produced one Grade I winner so far.
Racing Background: Took her two races to break her maiden though she managed to do it against open competition back in April. That was a 14 horse field and therefore it makes the win pretty impressive. That race, at 6.5 furlongs was her first race with an 82 speed figure after running a 79 in her first race. She would make the immediate jump into stakes company and run 2nd and 1st in back to back listed stakes in June and August. Her speeds of 85 and 87 were enough for her connections to try the Graded ranks and a run in the Grade I Frickazee Stakes was just what the doctor ordered. She ran fairly well finishing 3rd but running a respectable 91 speed figure. It was also her first attempt at a mile, so the distance shouldn’t be a problem for her. She has shown well in each stakes races that she has run in and does have the impressive win under her belt against open competition. Even with no win against Graded company, she shouldn’t be one to look down on. Race Predicted Position: Got a rough post draw for her racing style as she looks to sit well off the pace. It could be tough for her to get down to the rail early on and you have to wonder if that might wear on her just a little bit. She has tried running with the lead and that didn’t work out very well in her first race. Her best races have been when we have seen her well off the pace. Don’t count her out even if she is well off the pace. The most important thing for her will be making her move at about the 4 furlong mark. If she can manage that, she should be there in the end.