Spain Clear Favorite in Molly Pitcher Field

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Spain, the all-time leading earning filly or mare in North America, is the overwhelming choice in a field of only five entered for Saturday's Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. II) at Monmouth.

The 5-year-old Thunder Gulch mare just won two weeks ago, taking the Fleur de Lis Handicap (gr. III) at Churchill Downs. The Thoroughbred Corp. homebred has earnings of $3,507,542.

Spain was pronounced in foal to leading sire Storm Cat in May. She won the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) and finished second in that race last year. In all, Spain has won nine of 34 starts and been second or third an additional 15 times.

In the nine-furlong Molly Pitcher, Spain will carry high-weight of 122 pounds, conceding as much as 11 pounds to her four adversaries. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, she will be ridden by Jorge Chavez.

Spain will be the heavy favorite in the Molly Pitcher, where she will be opposed by Atelier (115 pounds, Eibar Coa), Southern Fiction (111, Jose Velez Jr.), Extend (112, Dale Beckner), and Summer Colony (119, John Velazquez).

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