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My Miss Aurelia Choice in Juvenile Fillies
Led by undefeated Frizette (gr. I) winner My Miss Aurelia, a full field was drawn for the $1 million Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). The 1 1/16-mile contest drew 14 sophomores and will be run on the Churchill Downs main track Nov. 4. Post time is slated for 6:10 p.m. EDT. George Bolton and Stonestreet Stables’ My Miss Aurelia is unbeaten in three lifetime starts, including a dominating 5 1/2-length victory in the Oct. 8 Frizette at Belmont Park when going wire-to-wire in the one-mile contest. She was pegged as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
The daughter of Smart Strike —My Miss Storm Cat, by Sea of Secrets, was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet and named after Bolton’s mother, Aurelia.
Prior to the Frizette she won the Aug. 14 Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) and broke her maiden in July—both at Saratoga. Trainer Steve Asmussen has assigned Corey Nakatani to ride the bay filly, and they will break from post 9.
My Miss Aurelia had her final work Oct. 31 at Churchill, breezing four furlongs in :49 3/5. It was her third move over the track since arriving from New York.
“It was a nice half-mile,” Asmussen said. “She got over the track well and was nice and relaxed. We’re keeping her happy.”
Also undefeated in three starts are Grace Hall and Weemissfrankie, the 4-1 co-second betting choices on the morning line.
Picked out of the Keeneland September 2010 yearling sale for $95,000 by Tony Dutrow for Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and The Elkstone Group, Grace Hall is based at Delaware Park. She broke her maiden there in July, won the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga in September, and prepped for the Breeders’ Cup with a convincing two-turn victory in the Oct. 1 Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park.
Grace Hall, by Empire Maker, has had three works at Delaware Park since the Blue Hen. She drew post 5 and will be ridden by Ramon Dominguez.
“I don’t know what the others horses have, I respect them all, but I have to feel very good about the way she is coming into this race,” Dutrow said. “She’s in great shape, is well prepared, and she belongs in this there.”
Weemissfrankie ships in from California for trainer Peter Eurton after winning the Oct. 2 Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park by a half-length over Candrea. Prior to that she scored the Sept. 3 Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) and was a maiden winner in July—both on the Del Mar Polytrack.
By Sunriver, Weemissfrankie had her final Breeders’ Cup work Oct. 28 at Santa Anita, clocking five furlongs in a quick :59 1/5. She will break from post 11 under Rafael Bejarano.
“I like the post," Eurton said. "We’ve got speed on the inside and we won’t catch a lot of fly-back. There should be a good pace and that will work for us. Our rider, Bejarano, said he was hoping to draw outside.”
A couple of California rivals that Weemissfrankie defeated are also in the BC Juvenile Fillies lineup. Candrea, who led most of the stretch in the Oak Leaf before being nipped at the wire, will try to give trainer Bob Baffert his third victory in the race. The Trippi filly began her career with a maiden win at Hollywood Park in July and then won a stakes at Fairplex in September.
Candrea (6-1), to be ridden by Martin Garcia for Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, had her first work on the Churchill dirt Oct. 31, drilling four furlongs in :48 4/5. She will break from post 2.
Paul Reddam’s Self Preservation (15-1) was beaten 1 1/4 lengths in the Del Mar Debutante in her stakes debut. She then finished fifth in the Oak Leaf after setting the pace but tiring in her first try at two turns.
The Ben Cecil-trained filly made her first two starts in Ireland, breaking her maiden at second asking on the turf. Joel Rosario will have the mount.
Third in the Frizette but with a legitimate excuse was Everett Dobson’s Miss Netta, and she is likely to appreciate two turns. In the Frizette, Miss Netta broke very poorly, was green in the early stages, and trailed the field by a large margin for most of the race before putting in a belated run and closing gamely in the stretch.
The Street Sense filly will look to break better this time, just as she did in her debut when going wire-to-wire at Saratoga. Rajiv Maragh will ride Miss Netta (15-1) for Kiaran McLaughlin.
“I was happy she finished third in the Frizette,” McLaughlin said. “She had an unlucky, terrible trip. She’s worked great a couple of times since.”
Another top contender is John Oxley’s Northern Passion (12-1), who came from the back of the field to score in the Sept. 17 Natalma (Can-IIIT) on the Woodbine turf. Second in the Ontario Debutante on Polytrack prior to that, the First Samurai filly will make her first start on dirt for trainer Mark Casse. Regular rider Luis Contreras will be aboard.
Jacks or Better Farm and trainer Stanley Gold will be attempting to win the Juvenile Fillies for the second straight year, this time with Awesome Belle, who like 2010 champion Awesome Feather is by the sire Awesome of Course .
Awesome Belle (20-1) romped by 7 1/2 lengths in the final leg of the Florida Stallion Series at Calder Casino & Race Course Oct. 15 to earn her way into the field. But she is stuck on the outside in post 14 and will have a lot of work to do for jockey Luis Jurado, who will be making his debut in the Breeders’ Cup.
Copyright © 2013 The Blood-Horse, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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