Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf | Horse Racing Free Tips

Plum Ali A Perfect 3-For-3 After Popular Miss Grillo Victory

Plum Ali ran her record to 3-for-3 with a come-from-behind victory on Sunday in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the Christophe Clement-trained filly by First Samurai ran down front-running Caldee to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Time for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf was 1:42.03. Plum Ali paid $4.30 to win as the favorite of five runners contesting the Miss Grillo.

Caldee finished second, with Editor At Large getting up for third. She was followed by Mashnee Girl and Director's Cut. There were four scratches from the original field of entries.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables, Plum Ali was bred in Kentucky by Stone Farm and sold for $65,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

“She's a very nice filly,” said Clement. “She's won in different scenarios, different tracks and different jockeys. That's what good horses do. They face the challenge and they win. It's very exciting. It's nice when they keep facing these things and win. [At the top of the stretch] the [top]-three finishers were together, so nobody has any excuses.

“Just like anything else, I'll only go to the Breeders' Cup [Juvenile Fillies Turf] if she's training great and doing great. I'm very happy. She's done everything right.”

Plum Ali made a winning debut at Saratoga on July 23, taking a maiden special weight race by two lengths, then traveled to Kentucky Downs to win the Mint Juvenile Fillies Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths.

“Christophe always said to me she was the nicest 2-year-old turf filly in the barn,” said Dubb. “We knew this winter when was she on the farm that she was above average, but we didn't know how good she was.

“She seems, with every race, to be maturing. She had more composure in the paddock today. She's just going forward the right way and we hope we can get one more race out of her this year.”

In the Miss Grillo, Plum Ali was near the back early while saving ground as Caldee led through fractions of :24.81, :48.06 and 1:11.58 for the first six furlongs. Ortiz asked Plum Ali for run going into the far turn and was bidding for the lead by the time the field hit the top of the stretch. She opened up by one length at the furlong pole and passed the mile marker in 1:35.60 with a clear lead and held sway to the finish. Caldee held off Editor At Large by a nose for second, with 15 1/2-length margin back to Mashnee Girl in fourth.

“She's very classy. I had the opportunity to work her twice and got to know her a little bit these past couple of week,” said Ortiz. “The first week, she worked well. The second week, she worked amazing. She gave me a lot of confidence going into the race. She had a great trip and I followed the right horse and when I was ready to make my move, I did.”

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Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Berth On The Line In Friday’s Shadwell Rockfel Stakes

Ms. Susan Lynas' Santosha (IRE) will bid to get her season back on track in Friday's Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (G2) at Newmarket. She is one of five 2-year-old fillies in the 7-furlong contest, which offers a guaranteed fees-paid berth into the US$1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) as part of the ”Win and You're In” international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge is a series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into corresponding races of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 6-7.

Santosha provided young trainer David Loughnane with the biggest win of his career when landing the Princess Margaret Stakes (G3) at Ascot in July and Loughnane believes her latest run, an eighth-place finish in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes (G2) on Aug. 20, can be ignored.

Loughnane said: “The Lowther was just one race too many for her. She got very wound up in the paddock before and then fell asleep a bit in the stalls and missed the kick. She has had a nice break since York. We feel that she has every right to be here and hopefully we can get her season back on track.”

When asked whether Santosha could head to Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Loughnane said: “Every race is on the table for her but we'll take it one race at a time. We certainly wouldn't turn our noses up at the Breeders' Cup if it was the right option for her.”

Aidan O'Brien has won the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes three times in his career, most recently with Just Wonderful, who won the 2018 renewal before going on to finish fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs. He relies on Ballylynch Stud/Irish EBF Ingabelle Stakes listed winner Monday, bred in Kentucky by Chelston, Orpendale & Wynatt, in Friday's contest. Monday is the first foal out of Group 1-winning juvenile Ballydoyle (IRE). She will be ridden by Ryan Moore.

Isabella Giles (IRE), a 7-length winner of the Ladbrokes Prestige Stakes (G3) at Goodwood last time, has won three of her four career starts, with her only defeat coming at the hands of Santosha in the Princess Margaret Stakes. She is trained by Clive Cox and will be ridden by Adam Kirby.

Last year's Rockfel winner, Daahyeh (GB), went on to finish second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. Her trainer Roger Varian, saddles Nazuna (IRE), a Kodiac (GB) filly who was second on her latest start at Doncaster.

The field is completed by Alba Rose (GB), a decisive winner of a novice stakes race over 7-furlongs at Thirsk. Mark Johnston trains the daughter of Muhaarar (GB), who will once again be ridden by Joe Fanning.

As part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Shadwell Rockfel Stakes to start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which will be run at 1-mile over the Keeneland turf course. Breeders' Cup also will provide a travel allowance of $40,000 for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must already be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards.

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After Some Drama In Starting Gate, Lady Speightspeare Relaxes, Wins Natalma

Lady Speightspeare, under vigorous handling by Emma-Jayne Wilson, punched her ticket to the Breeders' Cup with a three-quarter length score in Sunday's Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

A victory in the $253,000 Natalma, a one-mile “Win and You're In” Challenge Series turf race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, earned Lady Speightspeare a fees-paid berth in the Grade 1, $1 million Juvenile Fillies, which will be run at Keeneland this year on November 6.

Lady Speightspeare, owned and bred by Charles Fipke and conditioned by Roger Attfield, came into the Natalma off a front-running victory over seven furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf course and was the slight 5-2 favorite in the field of seven 2-year-old fillies for the Natalma. And although the Kentucky-bred was skittish when first entering the starting gate, forcing Wilson to bail out, she was all business once the pair had reunited and reloaded.

“In the starting gate, she acted up a little bit, but a little bit was a testament to her intent. Last time she ran, she was such a racehorse,” said Wilson, who had ridden Lady Speightspeare to the front-end victory in her only previous start. “She broke through the pack early and went to the lead with such intent, I think it was the same thing today in the gate. She knew it was coming, they yelled 'last one,' she was anticipating the doors to open so she popped up a little.

“But kudos to the gate crew here at Woodbine, they kept her straight and steady so, despite her rearing, she didn't manage to get herself hung up or hurt in anyway, which meant she was able to compete and win today.”

While Lady Speightspeare had settled into second place in the Natalma after Big Big Plans, the rank outsider in the field, showed the way through fractions of :23.77, :47.92 and 1:11.59.

“It's interesting, she relaxed better than I expected but I wasn't overly surprised,” said the jockey.

“Like I said, in her first start, she ran to the lead with gumption and it took me by surprise. Today, there was little more pace in the race, and I didn't want to get hung up, caught up in between.

“When we've been training her since then, she's known more, she's settled more in her breezes with her intensity so I was hopeful that would translate into the race today and it did. The doors opened and I just kind of put my hands down and the outside horse out-stepped her the first little bit and she showed that composure of a race horse, she knew that she was going to get a chance to run and I had a chance to let that horse cross over and just put her right on her flank and she settled into stride, got into rhythm and, man, when they started to come to her, just like last time, she really leveled off and dug in.”

Lady Speightspeare finally put away the longshot leader with a furlong to run and held sway for her game victory.

Alda, returning from Fair Hill, Maryland after capturing the Catch A Glimpse over 6 1/2 furlongs of turf, held a decided edge in experience on the winner and while she loomed a serious threat in mid-stretch, she was simply unable to track her down.

The strong second choice at 2.60-1, Alda finished 2 3/4 lengths to the good of Seasons, who had trailed the field at the quarter pole but rallied to snatch third money by a head from Dreaming of Drew.

Dreaming of Drew, who had missed narrowly in the Catch A Glimpse, stalked throughout on the inside but was unable to mount an effective rally.

Sleek Lynx raced within striking distance but also was unable to close the gap and checked in fifth, another three-quarters of a length back.

Stunning Princess and Big Big Plans completed the order of finish as the mile was clocked in 1:34.61 on firm going.

Lady Speightspeare was the third Natalma winner for dual Hall of Famer Attfield, who sent out the superstar Alywow to capture the 1993 running and Llanarmon to turn the trick in 2013.

And the trainer was more than pleased that his charge had shown an ability to rate after her 3 3/4-length debut win.

“That's always nice to see,” said Attfield. “When you break your maiden and you're going into a race like this off of going wire-to-wire you really haven't had any education or anything going into something like this so it was nice to see that for sure.”

Regarding a Breeders' Cup venture, Attfield minced no words.

“Well, that would be up to Mr. Fipke, and I would say knowing Mr. Fipke we probably are,” he said.

A daughter of Speightstown and the Theatrical mare, Lady Shakespeare, Lady Speightspeare returned $7, $3.90 and $2.90. The 6-5 exacta with Alda ($3.70, $3) was worth $21.90, the 6-5-2 trifecta rounded out by Seasons ($3.50) came back at $97.70, and the 6-5-2-4 superfecta completed by Dreaming of Drew came back at $95.85.

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Campanelle Heads Straight to Breeders’ Cup

Undefeated Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) will head straight to the Nov. 6 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland after connections decided to forego next weekend’s G1 Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket.

Campaigned by Stonestreet Stables, the Wesley Ward-trained filly broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park May 31 before taking the G2 Queen Mary S. during the Royal meeting at Ascot June 20. In her latest start at Deauville Aug. 23, she gave her trainer his third victory in the G1 Darley Prix Morny.

“We took her out of the Cheveley Park,” confirmed Ward. “I just felt I’d like to keep her under my thumb a little bit before going to the Breeders’ Cup. I think this filly could be something really special and I don’t want to ship her over and back again before the Breeders’ Cup. By keeping her [in America], we have a good couple of months to make sure she’s at her very best.”

In regards to her juvenile campaign thus far, Ward added, “She’s done everything we’ve asked of her–she’s three for three. We were struggling to find a turf maiden for her, eventually we did at Gulfstream and it was only 20 days between that race and the Queen Mary. With the shipping as well, I would never usually run them back that quick, so for her to go and win at Royal Ascot showed she’s a super good filly. And then she won much more impressively at Deauville after a good spacing since Ascot.

Also targeting Breeders’ Cup day for Ward is Ranlo Investments LLC’s Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), a narrow second in the June 19 G2 Norfolk S. at Royal Ascot. Originally targeting the G1 Nunthorpe at York, the colt’s connections opted to keep him in the U.S., where he won Saratoga’s Skidmore S. Aug. 21. The GI Juvenile Turf Sprint is his Breeders’ Cup target.

“It was a shame we couldn’t come over for York, but he’s a super quick horse, as he showed in his last race at Saratoga,” Ward said. “The Breeders’ Cup race for him is over five and a half [furlongs]. He’d prefer five as he has so much speed, but it’s his home track and I still think he’s going to be tough.”

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