Champagne Room grabbed the lead from frontrunning Noted and Quoted turning for home and cruised to victory in the $2 million 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) to kick off Breeders' Cup action Nov. 5 at Santa Anita Park. Video: 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)
Champagne Room, winner of the Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) in August, is a daughter of Broken Vow —Lucky to Be Me, by Bernstein, and was bred in Kentucky by Respite Farm. She is owned by Ciglia Racing, Exline-Border, Gulliver Racing, Sharon Alesia, Christensen, and Legan.
Peter Eurton is the winning trainer, picking up his initial Breeders' Cup victory. Mario Gutierrez, who guided Nyquist to victory in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) and this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), won his second Breeders' Cup event.
"I wasn't feeling utterly confident when they were coming down the stretch," Eurton said. "She was getting a little tired, but nobody was catching her. I'm feeling pretty good right now. This means an awful lot to me."
Champagne Room completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.12. Valadorna checked in second, with American Gal third and Daddys Lil Darling fourth. Champagne Room returned $69.20, $26.20, and $13. Valadorna was good for $9.80 and $6.60, and American Gal paid $4.80 to show.
From post 10, Noted and Quoted broke to an early lead when the gates opened and cleared the field going into the first turn, opening up a two-length advantage by the time the field completed the short run into the first turn. Champagne Room broke well and was second behind the leader, with 4-1 favorite American Gal further out on the course third.
Little changed up front in the backstretch, with Noted and Quoted, who won the Chandelier Stakes (gr. I) in her previous start, clinging to her advantage through fractions of :23.77 and :48.14. Sweet Loretta and Colorful Charades took up the chase briefly but by the time they entered the far turn, it was Champagne Room and American Gal back to put some pressure on the leader.
By the eighth pole Champagne Room grabbed the lead and spurted on to open up three lengths. Valadorna ran on late with American Gal to grab the minor awards.Champagne Room was clear by three-quarters of a length on the line, while Valadrorna was 3 1/4 lengths better than American Gal, who went off as the 9-2 favorite in the wide-open field.
Champagne Room began her career with a good second at Del Mar before taking the Sorrento. Her 30-1 price on Breeders' Cup day was due to a pair of subsequent defeats, first in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) when she was third behind Union Strike, and then in the Chandelier, when she checked in fourth, 5 1/2 lengths off Noted and Quoted..
"I had a perfect trip," said Gutierrez. "She broke really sharp and I was able to settle behind the speed. When I asked her, she ran with all her heart today."
Champagne Room has now won two of five races for earnings of $1,286,600. She is the only winner of two foals to race from four out of her dam, who in 2016 foaled a filly by Drosselmeyer.
