Ten Fillies Set to Battle In French 1000 Guineas
This weekend’s feature race in France is The Grade 1 $500,000 1000 Guineas going a mile on the firm turf course. The race is open to three year old fillies and the connections of eight girls have accepted the invitation. Many in here have locked horns in the past and on Saturday some of the fillies will be looking for revenge against their contemporaries. Here is a look at the field from the rail out.
COMMANDO WELLS (AUS) 14/1 Divisional Rank: 144
3 year old filly
COMMANDS (AUS) x SADLER’S WELLS x ALYDAR
Jockey: P McCartney ( 50 – 7 – 4 – 3 – 14% )
Record: (8: 3-1-2) $74,545 Turf: (8: 3-1-2) $74,545
8 Furlongs: (0: 0-0-0)
Best Speed Figure: 98 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: n/a
This Aussie bred is the co longest shot on the morning line and will be looking for her first win of 2010, in what will be her fourth start for the year. Saturday will mark her first try at the one mile distance and she will be also looking to record her first Stakes win. Last time out she was a well beaten tenth in the 10.5 furlong Grade 3 Penelope Cruz and her connections believe a drop back in distance should help their filly this weekend. Her best effort so far in an eight race career came three months ago when she was third in the 9 furlong Grade 3 Bonnie Sis Stakes. In that race she closed well to just miss in a three horse photo and she will need to show that same kind of form if she hopes to beat this field on Saturday.
CABER TOSS (KY) 5/2 Divisional Rank: 14
3 year old filly
FORESTRY x GONE WEST x ALLEGED
Jockey: J Ledwith ( 277 – 63 – 60 – 45 – 23% )
Record: (10: 3-5-0) $450,615 Turf: (7: 2-3-0) $407,830
8 Furlongs: (7: 3-2-0)
Best Speed Figure: 108 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 108
One of the favourites in here based on her consistent record and her impressive speed figures. Her two highest numbers are 108 and 106, and none of her seven competitors has ever recorded figures that high. She has been knocking heads with some of the best filly milers and her best run came two starts back when she lost a photo for the win in the Grade 1 Citizen Mile. Four weeks ago she broke a string of five successive losses when she won the one mile Grade 3 Grotto. It was both her first Stakes, and Graded Stakes score and if she runs back to her 106 rating from that race she will be tough to deny.
LUCKY’S KIMBERLY M (KY) 5/2 Divisional Rank: 18
3 year old filly
GHOSTZAPPER x STORM CAT x A.P. INDY
Jockey: P LeGnome ( 50 – 6 – 6 – 5 – 12% )
Record: (11: 7-0-3) $361,704 Turf: (10: 7-0-2) $360,416
8 Furlongs: (3: 1-0-2)
Best Speed Figure: 103 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 101
The other morning line favourite who brings and impressive eleven race record to France. She has won six of her last seven and only been off the board once in her career. She has won three of four this year and her only defeat in her last seven starts came in the Grade 1 Citizen Mile when she was third against a very tough group. She will be looking to turn the tables on Caber Toss who was eight lengths ahead of her in second in that same race. “We were very disappointed with her effort in The Citizen”, her connections said earlier this week. “We thought she’d win or at least be a lot closer than she was. Her last two have been what we have come to expect of her and we’re hopeful she’ll get the job done on Saturday”.
EARTHBOUND COMET (KY) 5/1 Divisional Rank: 33
3 year old filly
KINGMAMBO x STORM CAT x MILL REEF
Jockey: J Ventura ( 225 – 38 – 39 – 40 – 17% )
Record: (10: 6-2-1) $230,450 Turf: (10: 6-2-1) $230,450
8 Furlongs: (4: 3-1-0)
Best Speed Figure: 102 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 102
Unbeaten in three starts this year and seems to be getting really good at the right time. All three victories have been at a mile and as the competition gets tougher she just gets better. She started the year in the allowance ranks, then moved to Stakes completion, and last time out she took down the Grade 3 We Get Signal Stakes. Saturday she will step up in class again and jockey Jamie Ventura is happy to be reunited with the filly who he teamed up with to win The Flat World Memorial in February. “She is red hot right now and I think she is much better now than she was in February. I watched her last race and was very impressed”.
DUBAI CHARM (KY) 14/1 Divisional Rank: 114
3 year old filly
E DUBAI x SILVER CHARM x NORTHERN DANCER
Jockey: B Thedog ( 54 – 5 – 6 – 3 – 9% )
Record: (12: 2-2-3) $66,512 Turf: (7: 1-2-0) $45,200
8 Furlongs (5: 1-0-2)
Best Speed Figure: 93 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 87
This grey filly figures to be the longest shot at post time. She has won just two of her twelve starts and has not visited the winners circle since September of her two year old season. In her only try against Graded Stakes competition she was eleventh of fourteen in The Grade 3 Kewney Stakes going a mile and she will need a vast improvement to be competitive in here.
BERANTEVILLA (JPN) 4/1 Divisional Rank: 16
3 year old filly
DEEP IMPACT x KINGMAMBO x GREEN DESERT
Jockey: H Winkler ( 33 – 1 – 8 – 3 – 3% )
Record: (13: 3-4-2) $422,325 Turf: (13: 3-4-2) $422,325
8 Furlongs: (6: 1-1-2)
Best Speed Figure: 103 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 103
Four weeks ago this Japanese bred was a strong second to Caber Toss in The Grade 3 Grotto. It was not only the best race of her career but also a great race after two subpar efforts. With only one win in her last ten starts and somewhat inconsistent career form, her low odds makes her an underlay for the serious punters who will look elsewhere for value. For the legions of Japanese fans who have made the trip to France they are hoping their filly’s last race will be repeated or improved on Saturday.
FIVE OF WANDS (ENG) 5/1 Divisional Rank: 71
3 year old filly
PIVOTAL(GB) x SEEKING THE GOLD x CARO(IRE)
Jockey: J Cuervo ( 61 – 9 – 7 – 6 – 15% )
Record: (11: 4-2-3) $212,091 Turf: (11: 4-2-3) $212,091
8 Furlongs: (3: 1-0-1)
Best Speed Figure: 102 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 102
Wheels back on two weeks rest after a career best effort last out in The Urko’s Pirate Memorial. She dominated four rivals in that one mile race and makes the step up to tackle a stronger group on Saturday. Her connections are not concerned about facing such a tough group on just fourteen days rest and strongly believe their filly is in career best form right now. “My agent talked to the trainer this week and he thinks the filly is at her best right now”, said jockey Jose Cuervo. “I think we’ll be forwardly placed. Not on the lead, but not too far from it”.
OFF WITH HIS HEAD (KY) 12/1 Divisional Rank: 11
3 year old filly
SHAKESPEARE x REDOUTE’S CHOICE (AUS) x DEPUTY MINISTER
Jockey: B Wu ( 318 – 80 – 56 – 47 – 25% )
Record: (12: 5-1-3) $561,170 Turf: (12: 5-1-3) $561,170
8 Furlongs: (4: 2-0-0)
Best Speed Figure: 95 Best 8 Furlong Speed Figure: 90
This filly was one of the top two year olds last year winning The Grade 2 Why You Bugging Stakes in June and The Grade 1 Filly Grand Prix in September. However since that September victory she has failed to finish in the money in her two subsequent Grade 1 tries and has struggled to improve on her two year old form. Four weeks ago was dropped to an $8,700 allowance against three rivals and was able to record her first win in seven months. She will see a lot tougher company on Saturday and has done nothing lately to prove that she will be as good as she was last year.
Picks
1.) LUCKY’S KIMBERLY M (KY) 5/2
2.) CABER TOSS (KY) 5/2
3.) EARTHBOUND COMET (KY) 5/1
Good luck to all!