Breeders Bowl Juvenile Filly

YOUNG LADIES TAKE THE BIG STAGE IN THE BREEDERS BOWL JUVENILE FILLY

The most important day in the SIM has arrived. It’s the Breeders Bowl, in which championships are decided. Just to have a horse running in this series of races is a great accomplishment, and being able to win one is such a privilege, one that can’t be described in words.

I have the honor to do a write-up for the Breeders Bowl Juvenile Filly, in which fourteen two year old fillies will go at eight and a half furlongs looking to cap off a great freshmen year with a win. Let’s take a look at them:

1 -EXPLOSIVE GHOST (13/1)

RECORD: 6-3-2-1

GHOSTZAPPER X BERNARDINI X FORTY NINER

Filly sired by maybe my favorite horse ever, Ghostzapper, out of a Grade I winning mareby Bernardini, so you know she is bred to be a good one. And her results so far have not disappointed her owner/trainer, my good friend given18 (Dan Silver). She still has not been able to win at the stakes level, but her performance in the Grade I Frickasee Stakes, in which she was gobbling up the ground to just fell short of the winner makes you think that she is a major player in this race, now with an additional sixteenth of a mile to work with. It’s clear that she needs a hot pace in front of her for that late run to be effective, and there is a great chance she will get it. At the right price, she is a nice bet, and if Dan sends her here, is because he knows she is live.

2 – STORM SWALLOWER (5/1)

RECORD: 6-5-1-0

TAPIT X STORM CAT X SADLERS WELLS

At the moment, she is the  number one ranked two year old filly in the SIM, and more than deservedly so. So far, this daughter of Tapit has won 5 out of 6 lifetime starts, with two Grade Is already in her pocket. Her preferred running style is going right to the lead, but she also has shown her versatility, coming from just off the pace to win a listed stakes race in July. Her trainer stormborn3 has made clear that his filly will be at or near the lead, and he is very confident that the extra half a furlong will not be any problem for her. Works have been steady in preparation for this important date and she clearly one of the main threats for victory. Has been deservedly pegged as the ML favorite, at 5/1

3 – MADDY MAY (16/1)

RECORD: 8-3-1-1

WAR FRONT X STREET CRY X QUALITY ROAD

One of the most versatile sires in the SIM, War Front, is represented here by this beautifully bred filly, with three wins from eight starts so far. Two of those victories have come on the grass, but owner/trainer beerkeg took a stab at the Grade I Frickazee, and his gamble paid nice dividends, with a third place finish that allowed her to be part of this select field. That most recent race showed a new dimension in her game, the ability to come from just off the pace. In her previous races, her style was a “catch me if you can” style, and tow of her three wins had come in that manner. She still needs to show that she belongs in a Grade I, and her connections are confident that she will follow up with the improvement shown in that last race.

4 – TUTE YEAR HORN (8/1)

RECORD: 8-7-0-0

CONSTITUTION X DYNAFORMER X QUALITY ROAD

She is one of the most experienced fillies in this field, with 7 wins in 8 lifetime starts. She debuted on the grass, in which she suffered her only defeat so far. Then owner/trainer 2gunranch, being sired by Constitution, tried her on the conventional dirt, and the results have been sparkling so far, with six wins in the same number of tries. She tested the routing waters last time out, and won convincingly the Grade II Camlaw Stakes. She looked great in doing so, but the question to be asked is if the off track moved her forward, or simply she keeps improving with every new race. We will find out on Saturday, but don’t sleep on this filly. She can be long gone if she is allowed a clear lead.

5 -LOUISVILLE GENES (12/1)

RECORD: 7-2-2-0

SHAGAF X SPEIGHSTOWN X SEEKING THE GOLD

Indiana bred filly who has shown to be good enough to be in this select group of baby fillies disputing this award defining race. Both of her wins so far has been in restricted company, against Indiana breds. But she has held her own when stepping up versus graded company, and his last race was his best lifetime. In that race she came in a solid second, losing by less than two lengths to Z’Ha Dum, who is also here. Her trainer atwbp acknowledges she will need to step it up a notch to have a chance here, but there is no question that, if my filly is not to win the race, this will be one of my sentimental favorites here, just because of her very low-priced sire in comparison with other here. Good luck !

6 –ZENRACHANEL (8/1)

RECORD: 6-4-0-1

ZENSATIONAL X STREET CRY X MONSUN

When to see the name Zensational as the sire, you tend to associate it to raw speed. But this filly, winner of 4 out of 6 lifetime starts, has shown remarkable improvement when her owner/trainer softy2912 stretch her to a route distance. The result cannot be more pleasant; two wins in an equal number of starts, including a convincing win in the Grade I Darley in her most recent effort. This filly has worked great in preparation for this, her most important date at the track so far, and we expect her to be in the garden spot, waiting for a speed duel to develop in front her for then making a winning move from the three eights pole on. If she continues her improvement pattern, she is a definite contender for the win.

7 –MOUTHSOFDECADENCE (12/1)

RECORD: 5-3-1-1

WAR FRONT X CANDY RIDE X SEEKING THE GOLD

Filly that has demonstrated steady improvement with each new race, and has run better as the distances have increased. This daughter of War Front, out of a stakes winning Candy Ride mare just won her first important date, scoring in the Grade III Chicago-DC Lassie coming from off the pace. Trainer/owner asrstar10 is delighted on the way that his filly has developed, and thinks that the extra half a furlong will be just what the doctor ordered. She will need a contested pace up front, and, as almost always in these races, there should be plenty of early zip for her late run to be effective. At the right odds, is a very intriguing play, and I like her chances on Saturday. Major player.

8 – BITCOIN GIRL (16/1)

RECORD: 4-3-0-1

MCKINZIE X GONE WEST X NORTHERN DANCER

I am claiming a personal privilege here, as this filly is mine, and I am ecstatic to be part of this race. She has exceptional natural talent, winning three or her first four races, her lone defeat coming in the Grade I Dell Computer Debutante, in which she lost by a lil more than a length. I was under the stress of deciding on whether give her a route try or trying to qualify with the points earned in her Grade II win at six and a half furlongs, ultimately choosing the latter, trying to bring her as fresh as possible to this race and looking to get a best lifetime effort with a nine week rest. She is definitely lacking the routing experience, but I like how she is coming into this race and I am expecting a nice effort from her. She is wild card in this event.

9 – KIMBER’S GOLD LADY (11/1)

RECORD: 4-2-1-0

WAR FRONT X SEEKING THE GOLD X FORTY NINER

This talented filly has only four races lifetime, so she comes to his important commitment as fresh as any filly in here. Two wins on those four tries, and on those, she has manifested a fondness for the off tracks, as her two top races figure have come in less than ideal track conditions. Still no stakes wins for her, but that most recent effort, in which she was second in the Grade II Camlaw, made her punch her ticket  to the Breeders Bowl. Her trainer/ owner dkstables5 has been more than patient with this filly, training her up to this race and letting us know that she is coming into this race in the best form of her life. She will need to step up her game a notch to have a chance, but watch out for a lifetime best race from her.

10 – MALEVOLENT RHINO (14/1)

RECORD: 6-3-2-1

SPEIGHSTOWN X DISTORTED HUMOR X SEATTLE SLEW

Speighstown has been one of my favorite horses in real life, because I saw him live winning a Grade I at Belmont the day of the 2004 Belmont Stakes. And when I see his progeny doing well at distances of over 7 furlongs in the SIM, I always pay attention. This filly, part of the powerful  givensensation Army and his second representative in this race, , is doing better and better as the distances pick up. In her most recent effort, she came from mid-pack and closed very well on the stretch to miss by two lengths oin the Grade I Darley. Dan will give instructions to his jockey to have her a little bit closer to the pace to see if she can make up that two length difference and be a threat to win it all. She needs some improvement figure-wise, but definitely not out of the question.

11 – YOU GET THIS TAPIT (6/1)

RECORD: 3-3-0-0

TAPIT X WAR FRONT X MR. PROSPECTOR

Undefeated filly sired by the great Tapit, out of a Grade I winning War Front mare, so she is bred to be any kind. In her three wins, she has displayed a great amount of speed, running her competition out of their feet from the start. Stakes become much higher now, as she is stepping into the graded ranks, but her trainer/owner harrylan29 does not back down from the competition, and makes it very clear that they will be looking for the lead at all costs, and that anyone that pretends to go with her will pay the ultimate price. She is the least experienced filly of this group, but make no mistake about it; she is ultra talented. And if they let her flaunt her bursting speed up front without anyone going toe to toe with her, she can be dangerous.

12 – MARTINA SMERALDI (11/1)

RECORD: 8-3-2-1

TAPIT X STORM CAT X SEATTLE SLEW

When the term royally bred is coined, you think about a pedigree just like the one this filly has. His owner trainer beerkeg, although she already has eight career races, has been very cautious on the competition that he is sending his filly against. She has a stakes win at a listed stakes at six furlongs, but the performance that made her punch her ticket for this race was that third place finish in the Darley, a race in which she dictated the pace, a tactic that has proven to be effective with her. There is a lot of speed signed in here, so probably a change of tactics is in order. Don’t be surprised if beerkeg instructs his rider to take just off the pace to see how she fares. She needs some improvement, but pedigree says there can be more in the tank.

13 – Z’HA’DUM (10/1)

RECORD: 4-2-2-0

MORE THAN READY X SMART STRIKE X SUMMER SQUALL

My good friend Eliza is represented in this race by this very talented filly, out of the very versatile sire More Than Ready. She has a lifetime record of 4-2-2, and was doing fairly well in sprint distances. But everything changed when Eliza asked her to stretch to a mile and a sixteenth, the distance that they will have to negotiate in the Juvenile Fillies. In that race, she fell way behind the leading group, but from mid race on, she gobbled up the ground and flew thru the stretch for a clear win at odds of almost 10-1. So the distance is not a question mark for her, she needs a solid pace in front of her for that late run being effective. Eliza is extremely confident on her filly and I like her on Saturday. Good luck my friend!

14 -GUN EMPRESS (11/1)

RECORD: 4-2-1-1

GUN RUNNER X EMPIRE MAKER X MONTJEU

Hot new sire Gun Runner is the sire of this filly, out of a stakes winning Empire Maker mare, that has transformed since starting to run in routing distances. She sort of showed her cards on her first two races, letting everybody know that she will be a force to be reckoned at eight furlongs and beyond, and certainly this has been the case. Her most recent effort was a stellar two and a quarter length victory in the Grade III Margarine Stakes, in a race in which she looked like a winner from the half mile pole on. Trainer/owner desertdog can not be more confident on his filly’s chances to score her first Grade I, and I definitely have to agree that she has to be considered a major force in here, coming from way off the pace.

The best of luck and safe trips to all connections !!!