The biggest day of racing is here upon us in New York and New Jersey. Yes, it is Breeder\u2019s Cup day. While the SIM wide races are taking place down in Soprano land the GR Simsters have invaded New York and are holding their annual Breeder\u2019s Cup festival of races. It is going to be raining steadily on Saturday creating a sloppy track that will likely make for some electrifying results. Prepare for some shockers. I\u2019m here today to talk about the Distaff, and this field of 10 fillies looks competitive. Since there are exactly 10 fillies running it seems about time to break out my top 10 Halloween Movies list as well. Fitting for this weekend. First though, let\u2019s look back at a little history.<\/p>\n
Seeking Perfection trained by Geoff was the winner of this race in 2005. Seeking Perfection posted a SF of 106 and ran a 1:48 1\/5. Recently retired this year, Seeking Perfection won this race as a 3yo giving hope to all the young fillies out there today. This was one of six stakes races Seeking Perfection would win a 3yo, others included the GI Grace Kelly Memorial and the Distaff event in the 2005 Smackdown on her way to a career $1 Million+ in earnings. The 2006 winner of this event was Bush Wins Again trained by War Emblem. BWA posted a 108 SF and a time of 1:47 4\/5. BWA actually ran against Seeking Perfection in 2005, finishing 3rd. She would go on to excel as a 4 and 5-year-old winning four graded races, including 2 grade Is. She is running down in New Jersey in the SIM wide Breeder\u2019s Cup Distaff this year. Obviously this race has been a springboard to a glorious SIM career and ten trainers are trying to position their filly along that path Saturday. <\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at the runners this year from longest odds to highest, along with our Halloween Top Ten. <\/p>\n
Dominique\u2019s Ten is the long shot today at odds of 32\/1. This 3yo daughter of Rock Hard Ten broke her maiden last time out in impressive fashion, though it took her 10 times to hit the winner\u2019s circle. She\u2019s over her head in this, but there is no reason not to take a shot at this lucrative purse. Needs every bit of help from the ghosts in the number ten movie:<\/p>\n
10. Amityville Horror (Remake)<\/p>\n
Pay No Heed comes in at 14\/1. She is a 4yo daughter of Aptitude and could be a sneaky contender. She had won 2 straight in Allowance Company at 10 before trying stakes company last time out at 11. While she was an unthreatening 6th in that race, she cuts back to nine furlongs for the first time since February. That was back when Street Sense was actually better than Any Given Saturday so a lot has changed since then! What\u2019s your favorite scary movie Sydney? Pay No Heed might be the Scream Queen who shocks this field in the slop.<\/p>\n
9. Scream<\/p>\n
Awesomeseekingold at 12\/1 demonstrates the depth of this field. A $3 million dollar Keenland purchase she\u2019s Awesome Again x Seeking the Gold x Nijinsky. She is a multiple stakes winner, including a 104 SF at this distance two back. Awesomeseekingold ran 3rd in the GR Simsters Oaks. She cuts back from a 12 furlong GI which should be to her advantage. The 104 makes her dangerous. Though not as dangerous as that freaky Samara crawling through the TV.<\/p>\n
8. The Ring<\/p>\n
The field really tightens up now as all seven of the remaining entries are bunched up at odds from 3\/1 \u2013 9\/1.<\/p>\n
To Live is to Die is at 9\/1 and must be a big fan of Trent Reznor. She is a well raced 3yo Lemon Drop Kid filly having gone to post 21 times, winning a third of those races though in allowance company. This will be the first stakes race for this former claimer who was brought into the GR Simsters this past June. To Live is to Die comes in off two straight wins at 10 (103) and 8.5 so 9 furlongs should be right in the comfort zone. The jump in class in a big issue, but she looks like she has some speed. To Live is to Die? Perhaps. But does Love Never Die? It didn\u2019t in our number seven Halloween flick,<\/p>\n
7. Bram Stoker\u2019s Dracula<\/p>\n
Wheel in the Sky (is probably turning) opens with a morning line of 8\/1. A 3yo daughter of Point Given has run five straight times at 9 furlongs so she certainly knows where the wire is located. She put together a three race-winning streak in allowance company before jumping up to stakes and running third. Her career high at nine is 101 in her stakes race. She\u2019s a deep closer who has been on the board in 8 of her 10 career starts. She appears to be getting better as she gets older and might make the transformation into a stakes horse Saturday. Transformations in this movie were all the rage. And what eerie music.<\/p>\n
6. The Howling<\/p>\n
Winter Dreams is a 7\/1 Afleet Alex 3yo filly. She has always shown talent but hasn\u2019t been able to put it all together. She looked like she was going to be a promising 2yo, making it to the Frizette Stakes last year but was crushed in that and then ran a disappointing 6th in the GR Simsters Juvenile Fillies. She spent the first part of this year distracted running 2nds and 3rds before rolling off two straight wins. This led to a berth in this year\u2019s Smackdown in which she was again smacked down running 6th. However, she followed that with a career high 104 SF in the G2 Little Evil Sophomore stakes. Winter Dreams still had not turned the corner though because she fell flat next out in the G2 Cotton Hdcp. Finishing anywhere from 1st-6th is possible for this filly. She does draw the movie of the season in the number 5th spot however. Halloween Karma or just another victim of Michael Myers?<\/p>\n
5. Halloween<\/p>\n
Wondergirl Extasy is 6\/1 as we count down. A 4yo Rahy filly she has over $300K in earnings. She also is a former claimer and won a turf stakes back as a 2yo. She posted a 105 in Allowance Company at this distance three back, which is what probably sent her here. Wondergirl looks like a solid runner who will grind out wins but probably won\u2019t win a stakes race against these fillies. Then again she could undergo a transformation in the mud since she\u2019s 3-1-0-2 in her career. Transformation and multiple meanings are the theme in the brilliant number four movie on our list.<\/p>\n
4. The Descent<\/p>\n
Sweetchildofmine takes a break from Chinese Democracy and looks to win this race at a morning line of 5\/1. Yes, if you were wondering if there was a pattern here the seven first choices are 3\/1-9\/1. Sweetchildofmine ran in stakes races early in her career but this will be the first black type event she has since February of her 3yo year. That\u2019s a long time for this 4yo daughter of Mineshaft. One thing she clearly has going for her is an affinity for an off track where she is 5-2-2-0. This will be her first career race at 9 furlongs (or longer). If she likes the distance she could explode. Maybe Mineshaft provides her with that burst but her dam, Bad Attitude, was a sprinter and her dam\u2019s pedigree, Unbridled Song x Carson City suggests sprinting as well. She might run into a wall, though that won\u2019t be all bad if this attractive grey filly is doing it while Freebird is playing which was the ending to this movie that out grindhoused Grindhouse.<\/p>\n
3. The Devil\u2019s Rejects<\/p>\n
Our second favorite is Strong Achiever at 4\/1. She is strong contender here and it seems likely she\u2019ll be in the top three. A 4yo Strong Hope mare has put forward a strong series of efforts this year, hitting the 100 SF barrier 4 times (though only winning one of those). She comes off a second in the G3 Rose Garden Hdcp two races back so like Winter Dreams you have to like that class. Also like Winter Dreams she flopped her next race so whatever happens next is anyone\u2019s guess. She has registered a 104 SF at this distance in Smackdown, which was good for 5th place. Should be in the top three, but winning might remain elusive. Our second best Halloween movie is terrifying, full of tension and has a wicked, wicked ending.<\/p>\n
2. Jeepers Creepers<\/p>\n
Finally our favorite is the legendary Empire Reef representing the Lennbrenner Empire at 3\/1. What can I say about Empire Reef? She\u2019s the King, or Queen rather. GI winner on both the dirt and turf this 5yo daughter is looking to close out her career on a high note. She hasn\u2019t won much this year, but her class towers over this field and she will likely take a lead and dare all the other fillies to chase her down. Much like this movie, the greatest of horror films, still the King and daring everyone and anyone to unseat it.<\/p>\n
1.\tThe Exorcist<\/p>\n
That is the field. It should be a wild, and perhaps unpredictable race as these fillies battle it out. Empire Reef should get the lead and will keep the mud off her face. Will one of the other fillies ignore the mud and wind and push past this former champion? Should be one amazing thrill ride. For continuing thrills after the race check out one of our Halloween horror classics. Until next time\u2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Flying fillies and frightening flicks highlight this muddy weekend<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":459,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/459"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4969\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/btb.ehorseracing.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}