Fillies Set for BB Turf Juvenile (Written by Russrob2)

Article Written by Russrob2.

Welcome to California as we get ready for another epic showdown that the Breeder’s Bowl has to offer. I couldn’t think of a better way to prepare ourselves for the making of history, better than examining that history itself. These are the fillies who have won this race since the beginnings:

In the inaugural race it was Murf Ray who stole the show as she was able to upset the field. It was the only Graded Stakes she won as a two year old, struggling in previous attempts, but I am sure browns2 won’t complain about that. She went on to win 2.6 million and compile 13 wins in her fabulous career.

Dancing Blade is still the record holder for running the fastest speed thus far, and no one has come particularly close to breaking her speed of 100.614. It is that sort of speed that blows the field away and goes on to win by a comfortable margin of 4 ½ lengths. Her career finished at 2.5 million and 15 wins.

In 2003 it was Amateur Girl who beat out the favorite Shenanigans, unfortunately Amateur Girl’s career was cut short to just 8 races as her owner john2 appears to have left the sim shortly thereafter. With her career ending at 8 races she only finished with $564 thousand and 3 wins.

Mumbai ran a dominating performance in 2004 as she ran a speed of 96.428 and outran the place spot by 4 lengths. The favorite in the race K’s Araku lost steam early and fell out of the money to finish in 4th. Mumbai finished with 1.5 million and 19 wins.

2005 gave a thrilling race that saw the winner finish 1 length ahead of the filly that finished 4th, it was that tight, to the benefit of Jaca running a speed of 91.38. However, probably more excitement was from the place horse that didn’t quite materialize as Vindictive Force made a run from last and 11 ¼ lengths off the lead to finish ¼ lengths back of Jaca and just fell short. Jaca finished with 1.1 million and 8 wins.

In 2006 it was Urban Quest leading the way pulling away from the field late with a speed of 90.058 as she upset the favorite Lightseeker. Urban Quest won her next graded race and is still running strong for battlers. To this point she has amassed 1.1 million and 9 wins.

Last year it was Miesque’s Gold who won with long odds in what was the narrowest victory in the history of this race. She just edged out High Motions. Miesque’s Gold’s career took off as a 3 year old and is hoping to represent this fine group of ladies by running with the boys if she can make it into the Breeders Bowl Mile on Turf.

Now we come to the fillies that are hoping to join this exclusive list and become the new model of greatness:

Rainbow Party yet to win beyond the maiden level. She has finished in the money in all but one of her stakes races. Her fastest speed of 86 was obtained last time out at 8 furlongs in the G1 High Flyer Stakes in which she finished 3rd. That kind of effort was good enough for her second finish in the money at the graded level, both of which were G1’s. She will try and make a push towards the middle of the race and trainer siriusflit certainly hopes it will be enough to get her in the money.

Ranadan is coming off her first graded win and her fastest career speed. She ran in the G1 Filly Grand Prix with a speed of 90 which put her in 1st by 1 ½ lengths at an 8 furlong distance. The time before she ran also at 8 furlongs in a stakes race with a speed of a mere 72, however, that still put her in 1st comfortably by a distance of 4 lengths, so perhaps she left a little, or a lot on the track. She has handled the jump in distance and class very well and has yet to find herself worse than 2nd in her career. She will certainly make her patented late push to try and sneak into the money, a feat that seems very possible for this good looking filly.

Rolex has yet to prove she can lose a race, in her five career races. In her last race she ran in The Mama Light Challenge finishing 1st with a speed of 83 at 8 furlongs. She has ran a speed of 83 her last three times out the last two being at 8 furlongs, and the first being at 6.5 furlongs. She will need a jump in that speed if she hopes to finish in the money here. She has not faced a field of greater than 5 since her first maiden race. She will find the field tough and faster than she has previously faced, her subpar speed will hinder her catching the field late as she usually does.

Dencoras Prayer has found her groove at the 8 furlong distance on turf. She will be making her graded debut, coming of a win in The Seven Shooter Special in which she ran a speed of 91. Bongo started her out on dirt before switching her to turf, giving her a couple of starts at 6 furlongs on turf, before upping the ante to 8 furlongs and Dencoras Prayer has begun to peak at the right time. In both of her races at 8 furlongs she has ran speeds in the 90’s and finished first in both of those stakes races. Running in the lower to mid 90’s is a very realistic goal for this good-looking mare and that should be good enough to get her in the money.

Lite On My Feet made her graded debut last time out, and it was one trainer sonofsham will not soon forget. She was the wire to wire winner in the G3 Honey Dew Stakes which was 7.5 furlongs. She ran her career high speed of 95 to win the race by 2 ½ lengths. She ran at 8 furlongs in her previous race in an ungraded stakes race and finished with a docile speed of 86 which put her in 2nd. Another reason for concern with the Fantastic Light sire is the quick turnaround that she faces. She will be running on only 3 weeks rest, though it is hard to fault the trainer since her last speed is the highest speed in the field.

Blue Green Hunter won her graded debut last time out and set a new career high speed. She ran in the G3 Booker T. Handicap against fellow runner, and favorite, She Might Be Giant. However, she was able to upset the field by taking 1st with a speed of 89 at 8 furlongs. It was her first time running at the 8 furlong distance, and it was certainly a good one, but she has been building on her distances ever since her debut, and her speed as been added upon nicely each race out. She won her first stakes race in a shortened field and actually got out to a monstrous 7 length lead which was 7.5 furlongs. If she can repeat the type of performance she last had at this distance she will certainly be poised to get fab36 in the money.

Ice and Snow is a good looking mare that has recently found her stride at longer distances on the turf. She had previously been running, and winning, on turf at distances in the 5-6 furlongs range. However, with the step up in distances her speeds have greatly improved. In her last race she ran in The Sunshine Special with a speed of 85 at 8 furlongs, which put her comfortably in 1st. The previous race she won her graded debut with a speed of 87 at the 7 furlong distance. She has won each of her last 4 races, including a G3 and 2 other stakes races. I don’t expect a jump in speed here though and her speed of 85-87 will likely not be enough to have her seriously contending in this race.

Bistro had been sputtering along in her first 3 maiden races achieving a place and a show, but the win was quite elusive. However, when trainer super24 made the decision to switch her to turf she quickly responded, winning her maiden by 3 lengths. She went on to win her next two races, one being an allowance, the other a G3. She last raced in the G3 Mohawk Juvenile, winning with a speed of 85 at 8 furlongs. The real question is what will happen when this mare is challenged, as no one has finished within 2 lengths of her. Her jockey A. Rolling certainly hopes that she will have a little extra in the tank to kick it up a notch and make some noise coming down the stretch.

Red Time is looking for her first graded win after finding her niche at the 8 furlong distance. She last ran in The Tiger Woods Special in a wire to wire effort with a speed of 89 at 8 furlongs. Her graded debut was in a G1 race which was 6 furlongs and she produced a speed of 82, but it was only at 6 furlongs. She hopes to recreate the speed from last time out and add to her 2 stakes wins. Red Time is certainly a good looking filly, but I think she will find it difficult to hang on in this one as the horses chasing her down will be much faster than her usual competition.

Mountain High Cat has taken a beating in her last two outings, both of which were graded races. In her last race she ran in the G1 Filly Grand Prix finishing 8th with a speed of 78 at the 8 furlong distance. The previous race was also a G1 in which she ran 6th with a speed of 79. She did win her graded debut in a G3 at 6.5 furlongs with a speed of 83, but that seems like a long time ago with her recent outings. She is the longshot of this race and it seems much warranted with her lack of success recently and at this distance.

Cups is still looking for her first graded win. She has raced in 3 graded races and finished 2nd in all of them. Her last time out was in the G1 Filly Grand Prix in which she was back 10 lengths, but finished in 2nd with a speed of 88 which was 8 furlongs. Her speeds have been steadily climbing recently with her increased distances, however she has yet to bust out of that 2nd place spot in her big races. Each of the 3 horses that have edged her out in her graded races are represented in the field which certainly seems to spell trouble for Cups, but what a statement it would make to pull off the upset!

She Might Be Giant is hoping to recover from her disappointing finish last time out. She ran in the G3 Booker T. Handicap, in which she was the favorite, and finished 4th with a speed of 83 at 8 furlongs. Her previous speed was an 89 and it marked her career high, in winning the G3 Moony Stakes on an off track. The Booker T. Handicap was the first time She Might Be Giant tried the 8 furlong distance and she is hoping for a remarkably better performance this time out. I expect her speed will improve, but not enough to get her in the money in her first G1 race.

When you have a field of 14 of the best fillies on turf it is going to prove difficult to choose a favorite, or even 3 favorites. Looking at the young careers that these fillies have had would make any fellow trainer envious, but one filly stands apart from the rest to me. What So It’s Like That has been able to accomplish in such a short time, winning 2 G1’s and earning over $1.2 million, 7 races into her career is certainly hard to overlook. She will look to add to her illustrious career her first Breeder’s Bowl win, perhaps only her first with more to come. It is also hard to look past Dencoras Prayer’s running back to back speeds over 90. She may be making her graded debut, but she will certainly be challenging the field with her late push. By winning the G1 Filly Grand Prix Ranadan certainly made herself one of the elite fillies and comes in with the number 1 ranking. She will certainly make her presence felt and add pressure to the other fillies who lead early.

One thing is certain, this just as the other Breeders Bowl races, will be a clash of the titans that you will certainly not want to miss. These 2 year olds will not only be making history now, but with this type of talent will continue to set records and make history for a long time coming.

As always good luck to all the trainers and horses involved!