BC Fillies and Mares Turf (Grade 1)- $2,000.00 Purse
KEE- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Turf
October 31, 2026

Unpredictably can be the name of the game in the BC sometimes, and the BC Fillies and Mares Turf would be an example of that. Hitting the wire first would be Neon Woof, and we’ll give you one guess who that one is sired by, prevailing in a photo at odds of 20/1. Just missing out would be Ginger Gem, who went off at 26/1. For good measure, the third place horse, Lucy Heat was 19/1. Neon Woof, who is trained by TwinTowersRacing, has had a strong year, but needed a win last month in the Grade 2 Flower Bowl at BEL in order to get here. With S X Bridgmohan aboard, she would get that win, earning Bridgmohan another chance to ride her here. While we didn’t have her among our picks, we at least never wrote her off, either. It’s the first win in the race for TwinTowersRacing and S X Bridgmohan, so congratulations to them! It is the seventh BC win in total for the trainer, as well. The winning race time was 1:52.08, which is the quickest of the races held here at KEE. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :46.65)- Down the frontstretch and around the opening turn, we have a three horse breakaway in front of the field. These are all horses that started on the outside, and it will be Star Sequence having the upperhand. That Team 7 Illusions runner is on the outside, and has Avenue Z’s Explorer right beside her and The Sidley Stud’s Ginger Gem. It’s a break of about two to the Winning Link Stables- trained Beach Towel, who is able to remain ahead of a cluster of six horses in the middle of the pack. The lead horse of that pack is out eventual winner from TwinTowersRacing, Neon Woof, who’s three lengths off the pace. There is very little separating the next three, a group that consists of Poetic Panther (Maletto), Cailleach (Jerry Garcia Racing), and Rain Rattle (Bears Stable). November Storm (Mb Stables) hangs with this group closer to the rail, and Lucy Heat (The Sidley Stud) is right there as well. From her, it’s a length to Voltaire (Threshold); then Patronize (D J C Racing Stables), Lady Hilltopper (Black N Gold Stable), and Categorical Destiny (Mb Stables).

(3/4 Mile- 1:10.25)- Racing down the backstretch, the same group of three horses is out front, but is now Explorer leading the way by half a length on Ginger Gem and Star Sequence. Beach Towel sits just off the lead, but remains a head of the pack behind her. During this stage of the race, we also see Neon Woof inch away from that mid-pack position and is now with a length of Beach Towel with plenty of room to run in the turn if Bridgmohan wants to take advantage of it. Cailleach, Rain Rattle, Poetic Panther, November Storn, and Lucy Heat are all stuck on the pack, but are ahead of the rest of the field by a length and a half. The trailers are still not showing much, as Voltaire leads Patronize, Lady Hilltopper, and Categorical Destiny. Lady Hilltopper, our pick and the post-time favorite, is a closer at times, so this is clearly just part of the plan. Right?

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- We’ve had another lead change, as it will now be Ginger Gem out in front, and she starts to inch away from the other two that had been running with her. Explorer was still within a length, but the same could not be said for Star Sequence and she was in trouble. Moving into the fourth position is Neon Woof, as she would maintain her line while working her way around the turn, passing Beach Towel and gradually getting closer to the frontrunners. Now about a length and a half from the leader, there was plenty of time for her to get the job done. Beach Towel wasn’t going away, but she mainly maintained her distance to the leaders instead of gaining ground. Behind her, they are five wide as Poetic Panther, Rain Rattle, Cailleach, Lucy Heat, and November Storm just cannot get away from one another. A length behind the remaining horses are four wide with Patronize and Lady Hilltopper each slipping by Voltaire. Categorical Destiny may be looking to make an outside run in the stretch.

(Finish- 1:52.08)- In the stretch, and with a furlong to go, the field is tightening up, but Ginger Gem is still looking good and may just have enough to hold on. Explorer is fighting as hard as she can for now, but on the outside, it’s Neon Woof pushing forward and continuing to make progress. It would be close as they hit the wire between many horses, but the win was clearly going to come down between the top two, as Neon Woof fought hard on the outside but Ginger Gem was not going to go down without giving it her all. These two longshots would need a photo to decide the winner, and it would be Neon Woof prevailing over Ginger Gem in a great battle to the finish. They’re a half length over a tight three way photo for show. In that, Lucy Heat, who emerged from that pack, gets the headbob on Beach Towel and barely over the hard closing Categorical Destiny. Patronize moved up to sixth, while Explorer fatigued quickly late and fell to seventh. The second half of the running order will read Poetic Panther, November Storm, Cailleach, Lady Hilltopper, Star Sequence, Voltaire, and Rain Rattle.

About The Winner- Neon Woof, trained by TwinTowersRacing and ridden to victory by S X Bridgmohan, is a four year old filly by Neon Wolf and is out of First Cousin. She was bred in New York as a first quarter two year old by TwinTowersRacing, the only trainer for which she has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fifth in 20 starts, and her third stake win, all of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $1,807.69.

— NS

Categories: BC 2026, Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES, THE BREEDERS CUP