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!

Breeders' Cup 2008 Preview: Filly and Mare Turf

Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf, G1. 1 1/4 for 3 yo and up.

8 August 2008, Goodwood (GB): 1 1/4 turf Nassau Stakes, G1. Halfway to Heaven, a 3yo Aidan O'Brien trainee who has battled all the top F&M's in Europe This is her first trip to America, and she last raced and won on October 4, 2008 beating another entrant in this race, Visit.




Another Halfway to Heaven win, this time the Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 on May 25, 2008.
The race just before this one, she was defeated by Zarkava (sigh) and lost place to another entrant, Goldikova, and we'll get to her next!




Goldikova (Ire) is a 3 yo who's last two losses were to Zarkava. This race link was her last race, September 7th, 2008, Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, G1.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LPf4qKio2M

A couple of American girls are feautured in this next clip. Forever Together and Precious Kitten battle at KEE in the First Lady, G1 at 1 mile on the truf. Forever Together posted a 104 Beyer to defeat Precious Kitten, who posted a 101 for second.




September 27th, 2008. An interesting race featuring a few entrants in this race. on this day, Dynaforce defeats Mauralakana on yielding turf at Saratoga over 1 1/4 miles. Also in this race was Communique, a 4 yo G3 winner who may be in a bit deep with this group, yet has put up some consistant upper 90 Beyer's.



The Diana on July 26, 2008 was a race that Forever Together beat Dynaforce in. Yes, these horses for the most part, know each other! Wait A While finished 7th in this race as well.




Staying with our theme of the vanquished becoming the conquerer, The Beverly D raced on Arlington firm turf, Mauralakana (105 Beyer-career best) drubs Precious Kitten (99 Beyer) and defeats Communique (102 Beyer-career best).




Staying with the theme further, a G1 winner at Santa Anita, Wait A While has defeated Vacare, which she does in this race, the Yellow Ribbon at 1 1/4. Wait A While has been beaten by Forever Together, Dynaforce and Precious Kitten, and seems to have Vacare's number. Wait A While is unbeaten on Santa Anita turf.

Vacare, the 5 yo, may be fading a bit in 2008. She hasn't broken a 100 Beyer since defeating Precious Kitten in the First Lady Stakes at KEE in October 2007.

I don't know much about Folk Opera, Pure Clan or Sealy Hill, and I'm not expecting much from them anyway.

It's an interesting group that have beat and have been beaten by each other. The Turk is still doing his homework so I won't make a pick I'll regret later, but I will say I like what I saw in many of these clips.