The Nomination Is In: Breeders' Cup Friday Filly and Mare Turf Grade I at Santa Anita

That fine looking 3 YO Juddmonte Farms filly is Grade I winner Midday (GB). A solid second at 1 1/2 miles at the English Oaks and winner of the Grade I Nassau Stakes with a career best 120 Racing Post Rating at 1 1/4 miles. She'll attract much betting attention in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf against many older filly's and mares including last year's champ Forever Together.

Race 6 Santa Anita Post Time 5:23 ET; Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Grade I; 1 1/4 Miles on beautiful Arcadian turf for 3 YOs and Up.


Betting strategy all weekend will focus on exotic Super's with defensive Trifectas, Exactas and Win Bets mixed in. Ye' Ol' Turk has selected 8 of the weekends races and have set a 20 dollar limit on each race and we'll see what we can make out of that.

Forever Together is last year's champion and my tentative chalk in this years edition as well. A Grade I and II winner in 2009 and 11 of 11 lifetime in the money on Turf. Trainer Sheppard won 28% of his Graded Stakes entries this past year and he clips along at 33% when coupled with J. Leparoux, up again today.

I expect Magical Fantasy will slip to 4th best or lower with the betting public and I'm hoping she'll provide some value to the tickets. Solis is up for this Gallagher conditioned filly, the combination has not had overwhelming success and the handicap is more about a belief in current form, ability to handle distance, familiarity with Santa Anita and three straight Grade I wins. Training on turf regularly, will have to find more speed on this big stage, something that the competition and class of the field may bring out.

Midday (GB) is a high class 3 YO racing on Lasix for the first time. 6 of 6 in the money in 2009, second by a head at English Oaks at Epsom in June. 2nd effort off a >45 day layoff, the last time doing that she improved her Racing Post Rating by 10. Firmer turf should be well received.

The next group of runners are closely aligned in ability. Pure Clan, with Gomez up, comes in off of sharp work at Churchill Downs and owns three 1 1/4 mile wins in her career. The Clement trainee Rutherienne is a fairly consistent runner from Pulpit who hasn't proven herself of late past 8 to 8.5 furlongs. I view Visit (GB) and Dynaforce as a push, with a edge to Visit(GB) who raced a career best in last year's edition of this race leading at the top of the stretch, but only 1 win in past 12 starts leaves me feeling kinda ugh. Maram is a favorite of mine but I think is in over her Breeders' Cup head here.

The Little Turk and Mrs. Turk are both backing Forever Together as well.

Forever Together, looking magnificent in the Terence Dulay photo.


Have fun, Turk Out!