Life after the Breeders’ Cup seems to be going very well for a number of horses who have bounced back with big efforts following their exploits at Santa Anita Park. Three will be using the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) as a possible steppingstone to a grade I victory when they contest the $500,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes (gr. I) at Betfair Hollywood Park Dec. 7.
While the Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher, Rosalind, will look to confirm her form from the Breeders’ Cup, two classy fillies–Concave and Untapable–will be attempting to rebound off nightmarish trips, in which they were beaten an astounding 72 3/4 lengths and 68 1/2 lengths, respectively.
But both fillies, who ran into a world of trouble, having to check and take up sharply, have proven themselves in stakes company, with Concave finishing third in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) and Untapable winning the Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs.
There are several other promising fillies entered in the field of eight, but they all have to beat Rosalind, who rallied from 16 lengths back in the Juvenile Fillies to be beaten a half-length. In another stride or two, she likely would have been second, which means she would have been placed first following the disqualification of first-place finisher She's a Tiger.
Trained by Kenny McPeek, who won last year’s Starlet with Pure Fun, and owned by Landaluce Educe Stables, the daughter of Broken Vow had previously rallied to finish second in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and third in the Pocahontas. She will break from the outside post under Joel Rosario, who rode her for the first time at Santa Anita.
Purchased for $70,000 at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale, Rosalind has earned $314,011 in her four starts.
Concave, owned by Reddam Racing and trained by Doug O’Neill, drew the rail under Mario Guttieriez, while Untapable, owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen, will break from post 5 with Joe Talamo aboard.
The remainder of the field is made up of improving fillies who could be ready to take the big step into grade I company.
Bajan, trained by Simon Callaghan and owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, is coming off listed stakes victories in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita and Moccasin Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park. The daughter of Speightstown competed in the Del Mar Dubutante, but finished sixth after a bumping incident at the three-sixteenths pole. She will break from post 4 under Victor Espinoza.
Eoin Harty will send out Arethusa for Darley Stable. The daughter of A.P. Indy has improved with each start and is coming off an 8 1/4-length romp in the Sharp Cat Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.
Also in the 1 1/16-mile race are recent maiden winners Streaming, trained by Bob Baffert, and Taste Like Candy, from the Jerry Hollendorfer stable. The latter won her only start by 6 1/2 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita and earning a hefty 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
Rounding out the field is Be Proud, who has a victory and four seconds in six starts, including a second behind Arethusa in the Sharp Cat Stakes in her last start. Also trained by Baffert, she will race for the first time without blinkers.
$500,000 Hollywood Starlet Stakes Gr. I, 1 1/16 miles, 2YO fillies, Race 6, post time app. 6:04 (EST)
PP/Horse/Jockey/Trainer
1—Concave (ONT), M. Gutierrez, D. O’Neill
2—Taste Like Candy (KY), R. Bejarano, J. Hollendorfer
3—Be Proud (KY), E. Maldonado, B. Baffert
4—Bajan (KY), S. Callaghan, V. Espinoza
5—Untapable (KY), J. Talamo, S. Asmussen
6—Arethusa (KY), C. Nakatani, E. Harty
7—Streaming (KY), M. Garcia, B. Baffert
8—Rosalind (KY), J. Rosario, K. McPeek
All horses carry 120 pounds