JUVENILE FILLIES DIARY
AUGUST 25, 2006
by Tom Joyce
From this point forward, I will alternate each week between two-year-old
males and two-year-old females. The idea behind this feature is to look at the
leaders of each division as they approach the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
It goes without saying that trainer Todd Pletcher has a plethora of top
juveniles, and it’s hard to separate his best fillies.
COTTON BLOSSOM (Broken Vow) is undefeated in two career starts and gamely won
the Schuylerville S. (G3) on opening day at Saratoga. The big bay attended fast
early fractions from the far outside, moved strongly while wide around the turn,
turned back a bid from DESIRE TO EXCEL (Mt. Livermore) in deep stretch, then
edged away late to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Three weeks later, OCTAVE (Unbridled’s
Song) was hustled along the fence, angled out near the five-sixteenths pole,
then drove to a 1 1/2-length victory in the Adirondack Breeders’ Cup S. (G2).
She broke her maiden first out at Churchill Downs, then stumbled at the start
before finishing second to Desire to Excel in the Astoria S. From what I have
seen so far, Cotton Blossom probably deserves top billing over Octave, and both
could run back in the Spinaway S. (G1) on September 3.
Next comes first-out winner CHAGALL (Successful Appeal), who finished second
by a neck to RICHWOMAN (Successful Appeal) in the Debutante S. (G3) at Churchill
Downs. In her most recent start, she forced the highly promising MAGICAL RIDE
(Storm Cat) through brutally fast early fractions before diminishing to sixth
(beaten 4 3/4 lengths) in the Adirondack. What is interesting to note is that
Pletcher’s first-call rider, John Velazquez, chose to ride Chagall over Octave
in the Adirondack. What is even more interesting is that once Chagall was beat
near the five-sixteenths pole, Velazquez just let her finish through the stretch
on her own. Hence, Chagall is probably better than her most recent running line
indicates, and she could offer overlaid odds in her next start.
PANTY RAID (Include) was a very impressive first-out maiden winner at the Spa
on August 10 for Pletcher. The dark bay dueled for the lead along the inside and
then, with announcer Tom Durkin excitedly calling her name, drew off under a
vigorous hand ride to win by a widening 7 3/4 lengths. It shouldn’t take her
long to earn black-type for her freshman sire, who is a male-line descendant of
Domino.
AUDACIOUS CHLOE (More Than Ready), who finished a distant fifth (beaten 20
1/4 lengths) in the Schuylerville, returned to win Sunday’s Junior Champion S.
at Monmouth Park for Pletcher, running one-mile on firm turf in a swift 1:34
1/5. Audacious Chloe finished a close second to the well regarded PRO PINK
(Touch Gold) in her debut at Keeneland, then broke her maiden second out at
Belmont Park, completing five furlongs on a fast track in :58 1/5. She can
handle either surface and could be a sleeper. BOVELL ROAD (Graeme Hall) captured
the July 30 Colleen S. at Monmouth, and Pletcher got away with one here
considering that she broke her maiden by 6 1/4 lengths for a $40,000 tag in her
debut. As they say, the first one is always for the barn. COWGIRLS DON’T CRY
(Pure Prize) sold for only $105,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Year-Old
in Training Sale in May after breaking her maiden second out at Keeneland. After
being sent to Pletcher, she ran second in the Prairie Gold Lassie S. at Prairie
Meadows, then won the seven-furlong Anna M. Fisher Debutante S. in a sharp 1:22
3/5 at Ellis Park.
Now that we have noted the juvenile fillies trained by Pletcher, let’s take a
look at some others.
Desire to Excel had a nightmare trip in the Schuylerville and may have been
best. She has not worked since, however, and may be sidelined with an injury.
Magical Ride, the first foal out of 2001 Test S. (G1) winner Victory Ride
(Seeking the Gold), broke her
maiden in her debut at Belmont, running five furlongs in a sparkling :57. The
Rusty Arnold trainee has quality and is expected to run next in the Spinaway.
THIS JUST IN (Pulpit), out of 1997 Ashland S. (G1) heroine Glitter Woman
(Glitterman), put it all together in her third start, defeating maidens at
Saratoga by 4 1/4 lengths while completing five furlongs in a solid :57 4/5
under standout apprentice Julien Leparoux. It will be interesting to see where
“The Chief” (H. Allen Jerkens) runs her next.
UNTOUCHED TALENT (Storm Cat) and OUTOFTHEPAST (Exchange Rate) finished
one-two in the August 5 Sorrento S. (G3) at Del Mar, but the Bob Baffert-trained
POINT ASHLEY (Point Given), who bypassed the race, has been working up a storm (six furlongs out of the
gate in a mind-boggling 1:09 4/5). JUMP ON IN (Jump Start) broke her
maiden at 4-5 by 5 1/4 lengths when unveiled on August 6 at Del Mar, running 5
1/2 furlongs in 1:03 3/5. She sold for a healthy $475,000 at Barretts in May and
has the look of a good one. All of these could be headed to the Del Mar
Debutante S. (G1) on Labor Day.
At Arlington Park, NOLA STAR (Three Wonders) broke her maiden second out at
2-5 by an eye-popping 16 1/2 lengths, running one mile in 1:37 for trainer Kenny
McPeek. SEA THE JOY (Stormy Atlantic), who defeated Cowgirls Don’t Cry in the
Prairie Gold Lassie, returned to win the Top Flight S. on Sunday, defeating
favored LENARO (Buddha). All three of these could run back in the
Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Lassie S. (G3) on September 10.
Churchill Downs-based CHANGE UP (Distorted Humor) is definitely one to keep
an eye on. Trained by Steve Flint, the chestnut just missed in her debut, then
returned to break her maiden under the Twin Spires on June 10, running 5 1/2
furlongs in 1:03 2/5. In her most recent outing, she put away first-out
Keeneland winner APPEALING ZOPHIE (Successful Appeal) in the stretch to win the
six-furlong Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies S. by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:10.