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Maryfield scores in sloppy Filly & Mare Sprint

Maryfield had a half-length to spare over the rail-skimming Miraculous Miss (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) MARYFIELD (Elusive Quality) chose the cleanest path in a messy Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Monmouth Park on Friday, coming down the center of the track to just out game Miraculous Miss (Mr. Greeley) at the line. With Elvis Trujillo guiding her over the sloppy dirt, the bay mare posted a final time of 1:09 4/5 in the inaugural running of the six-furlong test. As expected, Dream Rush (Wild Rush) and La Traviata (Johannesburg) quickly moved to the front to show the way, with the former miss setting blistering splits of :21 1/5 and :44. Rounding the turn, the testing ground began to take its toll and La Traviata faded as Dream Rush kept toiling along. The rest of the field suddenly engulfed the Grade 1-winning miss in midstretch, with Maryfield gunning down the center of the track. The bay mare had the most momentum and posted the half-length score over Miraculous Miss, who was running on the rail, at the wire. "She finished so strong," a jubilant Trujillo said. "They were going too fast on the front end. I knew they were going to stop. With them going so fast, I knew it was going to help us. I'm thrilled, thrilled." Sent off the 8-1 fifth choice, the Doug O'Neill-trained Maryfield paid $18, $9 and $6 while keying the $374.80 exacta. The $1 trifecta was worth $878.40 and the $1 superfecta (4-2-1-10) returned a nice $6,787. "This is absolutely incredible," O'Neill said. "It's just unbelievable. I have to thank Elvis Trujillo. He rode her like he's won 20 Breeders' Cups already. He was so confident, so cool and so relaxed. This is really a thrill."

Miraculous Miss gave back $37.40 and $17.20 as the 43-1 longest shot in the 10-horse field, and it was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Miss Macy Sue (Trippi), who was worth $4.60 as the near 6-1 third pick.

"She ran great," jockey Jeremy Rose said of Miraculous Miss. "I had a perfect trip and she ran her heart out but she just got beat. The track is good. It's real wet on top, but you can feel the bottom. She got a hold of the bottom today and ran great."

Miraculous Miss' trainer, Steve Klesaris, agreed with that assessment.

"Jeremy did a great job. She had a great trip around there and came up the inside. I think the winner had a lot of momentum in the center of the racetrack. I'm very pleased."

Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg) was another two lengths back in fourth and was followed by Dream Rush, 2-1 favorite La Traviata, Shaggy Mane (Bertrando), Oprah Winney (Royal Academy), Wild Gams (Forest Wildcat) and Jazzy (Arg) (Mutakddim).

Maryfield entered Friday's race off a nose victory in the Ballerina S. (G1) at Saratoga. Wearing the colors of Mark Gorman, Nick Mestrandrea and Jim Perry, the six-year-old also scored in the Distaff Breeders' Cup H. (G2) and just missed by 1 1/4 lengths when fourth in the Princess Rooney H. (G1). She pushed her line to 28-9-5-1 with this one and, with the winner's share of the $1,030,500 purse, has now accumulated $1,334,331 in lifetime earnings.

Bred in Ontario, Canada, by Mike Carroll & John C. Harvey Jr., Maryfield was claimed for $50,000 in January of 2006 before making the move to stakes competition. She passed through the Keeneland September Yearling sale ring, bringing $80,000 in 2002, and is out of the stakes-placed Sly Maid (Desert Wine). The 16-year-old mare has also produced Canadian Grade 3-placed Quiet (Roar), herself the dam of Canadian Grade 2 runner-up Quietly Mine (Belong to Me).

More Breeders' Cup Recaps:

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