BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF (1m, turf, 9.25pm)
Team Ballydoyle has a great chance here. Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Happily is one of the operation’s strongest chances and seeks a third top-level success, having previously won the Moyglare also. She is back against her own sex here, but I will the sharper track catch her out? The same could be true of September who should have won the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket with a clear run.
They could just have run into a monster. Rushing Fall has impressed on both her starts, storming home from miles back to win the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland, which most people have as the fastest prep. It’s true she got a good pace to run at on soft going, but she’s a More Than Ready filly and a better surface should suit.
BREEDERS’ CUP DIRT MILE (1m, dirt, 10.05pm)
This is a heck of a race. Horses in this division are most often longer-winded sprinters who lack stamina, and it is common to see a furious pace.
Mor Spiritseems to have come on a ton as a four-year-old for Bob Baffert. I have the Belmont track slower for his 1m 33.71 in the Grade 1 Met Mile than for Frosted’s 1m 32.73 in the same race last year. That is elite level and a reproduction wins this. Sharp Azteca is a threat, as is the Coolmore Partners’ grey Cupid.
BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE TURF (1m, turf, 10.50pm)
Aidan O’Brien fields the Dewhurst second Mendelssohn who woke up in a big way in blinkers at Newmarket, having run a stinker at Doncaster previously. The Newmarket form is more than good enough, if he can run back to it. The concern is that the son of Scat Daddy has run two puzzling races out of four.
Masar represents Godolphin and also has a sound chance; his pace profile suggests pressing and pouncing will suit. Three British Group 2 winners take their chance: Rajasinghe (Coventry Stakes), Sands Of Mali (Gimcrack) and James Garfield (Mill Reef). Gordon Elliott’s Group 2 Railway Stakes winner Beckford also enters calculations, after his keeping-on fifth in the Middle Park.
A dark horse who could find a ton of improvement isVoting Control. The son of Kitten’s Joy finished strongly in the Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont, gaining four and a half lengths into a final 2.5f of 29.71 (11.9sec/f). He made a sweeping move in lane six to win a valuable maiden on his debut.