BC Fillies and Mares Turf (Grade 1)- $2,000.000 Purse
KEE- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Turf
November 7, 2020
The BC Fillies and Mares Turf runs on Saturday and the top storyline surrounding it will be whether or not last year’s winner La Terrifiant can duplicate that performance. It is not going to be easy for her, but it was not in 2019, either. Looking at some of the other greats of this race, Broomsticks Copy won the Fillies and Mares turf in 2015 and the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2014. However, La Terrifiant could one-up that, as she too is a two-time BC winner, having won the BC Juvenile Fillies in 2017. There is one other two-time winner of this race, Attraction, but she did not win them in consecutive years. Her victories were in 2014 and 2016. She settled for 7th in 2015. For this race, there are thirteen others in this field who would love to write their own chapter of the eventual history of the stake. Let us meet this full field of those vying to get the winner’s cut of this $2,000.000 purse!
#1- Unmistakable (Mb Stables, ridden by Mar Garcia)- On the rail, this Commanding filly is coming off a win in the Grade 1 Taylor Stakes at WO last month. She has not always been consistent, though, and has only won three of fifteen career starts. Lately, she is looking a little better, so perhaps she is starting to find her way and that would allow her to become more well known in this division. A win here would do that immediately, but she has never won two in a race in a row, and I can’t pick that to happen here.
#2- Pirate Petranella (Diablo Diablo, ridden by J Stein)- Last year, this filly became a BC champion in taking the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. She was dominant as a two year old, and after starting 2020 with a graded win, she took a while to get another win. That stretch came to an end last month at BEL, where she won the Grade 1 Flower Bowl. Maybe she runs her best during this time of year, and if so, then watch out for her. She’s done it before in the BC.
#3- Never Enough (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- In August, she won the Grade 1 Beverly D on soft turf at AP, and that has been the highlight of the year for her. In the spring, she finished in second place in a couple of Grade 3’s, and it never seems as though she runs poorly if you throw out the BEL Oaks.. Comes out of the Flower Bowl with a fourth place finish, where she came from off the pace, and that is her typical style. Perhaps I should like her a little more, but I sense a middle of the pack showing from her.
#4- Maggie Greene (The Sidley Stud, ridden by R Bejarano)- This veteran six year old will be making her fourth appearance in a BC race, and that is an achievement regardless of the finishing positions in them. In 2017, she was fifth in the BC Juvenile Turf, and ran in this race in each of the last two years, where she was ninth and fifth. Put forth a three race winning streak earlier this year, highlighted by the $1,000.000 Grade 2 NY at BEL. Must be at her best, but does have R Bejarano, a three-time winner of this race in the saddle.
#5- Too Scared To Party (Smokey Stover, ridden by M Tunon)- Hopefully the trainer will not be scared to party if this highly talented Pinnacle West filly pulls off the win. She should be considered one of the ones to beat in the field, with back to back wins after the trainer laid down $900.000 to acquire her from Martyparty. The first triumph was in the $625.000 SAR Oaks, and then she captured the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive. It’s a three race winning streak for her, as she also won her last race in the Martyparty silks.
#6- Proud Eights (Estero Farms, ridden by R M Hernandez)- In September, she would win the Grade 2 Glens Falls at SAR, which would be her only win of the season. It was enough to get her here into the BC, and three second place finishes helped with that. She knows how to hit the board, doing so in five out of six starts. Was here last year as well, placing sixth in the 2019 Fillies and Mares Turf. Seems destined for a similar finish, at best.
#7- Franke (Australia Wide, ridden by S Ryan)- It couldn’t be the BC without an appearance by Australia Wide, could it? This filly will not be one of the favorites but at the same time cannot be overlooked. Her highlight this year was winning the $500.000 CD Distaff Turf Mile, a Grade 2 at CD on KYD weekend. La Terrifiant and Proud Eights were two that she beat that day. In his heyday, you never rule out this trainer in the BC, and I don’t think that would change even now. This is a race he has never won, by the way.
#8- La Terrifiant (Our Athletes, ridden by A Beschizza)- All eyes will be on this two-time BC winner as she looks to win this race for the second consecutive season. She comes here off of a win in the Grade 1 First Lady, and ran fifth in the Grade 1 Diana at SAR. Each of those results exactly the same as they were in 2019 going into that race. Though she is on better form now, because she won the KD Ladies Turf in September after only being fourth in that race in 2019. Everything about La Terrifiant looks like she can do everything here that she did before, and won’t have to do it from post 14 this time. She faces tough opposition here, but I have to say that I see no reason to not make her my pick. I like a few others, too, naturally, but am excited about watching her run. And I know Our Athletes would really love a BC win at KEE.
#9- Rules Are Madness (Angelos Stable, ridden by D Davis)- This filly has won three of eight races this year, and that includes both the Grade 1 Gamely at SA in May, and the Grade 2 Ballston at SAR in July. Winning is something that she knows how to do, with ten of them in 24 career starts. After this filly won her first race, she has never gone three races in a row without a win, so that consistency is impressive, and to keep that streak going she would need a win here. This is the type of horse that is not likely to be a top choice, but can be an excellent sleeper pick if the odds climb.
#10- Envy (Mo Mentum Farm, ridden by R J Rosado)- Made her graded debut on PRK weekend at PIM in the middle of May, and ended up winning in the Grade 3 Gallorette. At the time, that capped a three race winning streak which saw a gradual ascent in class level. A couple months later, she took the next step, getting a Grade 2 in the Lake Placid at SAR, and narrowly missed winning a Grade 1 last time out, placing second in a photo in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive. At three, she is definitely one to watch for the future, but in the here and now, she’s on her best form.
#11- Holualoa (Smokey Stover, ridden by J R Velazquez)- This should be a great race for Smokey Stover, having both Too Scared To Party, and Holualoa, and it will be a party no matter who wins. Holualoa has had a great year, and seems to run well when I cover her races, in particular. She earned the win in the Grade 1 Diana at SAR in August, beating La Terrifiant, which is always a tough race within this division, and last month she made her way to the Grade 1 Flower Bowl. In a close photo, La Terrifiant got some payback and knocked her off. It will be exciting to watch them battle it out again here.
#12- Forty Chai (Estero Farms, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- This filly has won four of six races for the year, including her most recent race, the Grade 2 Sands Point. I like that she has been able to win, but it also seems as though she has not been going up against the elite of this division, other than the BEL Oaks. That was run on soft turf, but she did finish a distant third. I wish she ran in something more challenging last month, quite frankly, so I have to look past her in the BC.
#13- My Girl Makita (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by J Bisono)- If you were wondering when Maxmillion was going to show up in a BC race on the grass, we can finally look at his entries now. The post draw was not kind to him, to say the least. My Girl Makita ran here last month, in the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup, and placed third to her stablemate Dawning Ice Age. Prior to that, she won the Grade 2 Canadian Stakes, and also finished second in the BEL Oaks. When she has started on the outside before, she has fared well with it, so she can overcome that.
#14- Dawning Ice Age (Maxmillion Farm, ridden by Ru Fuentes)- Speaking of Dawning Ice Age, she will be here as well and is the other Maxmillion Farm filly starting way out here. As mentioned, she was the winner in the QE II Challenge Cup last month, which is one of three wins that she has attained this year. She is not as experienced with an outside post as her stablemate, never having started from a double digit post. I’d go with My Girl Makita over her.
Prediction: 9-5-11-2
— NS
Categories: BC 2018-20, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP
