Tapitsfly flew home at Santa Anita (Ted Terquinio/Horsephotos.com)

Frank L. Jones Jr.'s homebred TAPITSFLY (Tapit) wore down the game pacesetter Rose Catherine (Speightstown) to prevail in Friday's $909,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. at Santa Anita. Trained by Dale Romans and ridden by Robby Albarado, the gray tracked in second while Rose Catherine winged her way through splits of :22 4/5, :47 and 1:10 1/5. The early leader was all heart when Tapitsfly challenged her in the stretch, but she could not fend her off. Tapitsfly had too much firepower inside the final furlong and forged ahead by a half-length to compete the firm-turf mile in 1:34 1/5.

"No one deserves to win a race like this more than Mr. Jones," Romans said. "He's been in the business a long time and has had horses for over 30 years. My father (Jerry Romans) trained for him before me. It's just a great win for him and for me too. I thought we had a great trip. I thought that if she got her nose in front, she wouldn't stop. That other filly (Rose Catherine) ran a great race, but my filly hung on."

"It was a great trip," Albarado said. "She broke well -- she put herself in position. I just wanted to clear most of them into the first turn so I wouldn't get packed out too wide. She's awful quick leaving the gate. She got herself into position and the first time I pressed, she went on. She came home nice. She's a little fighter, I'll tell you that. She's a true grass horse for sure. The only time I rode her on the grass she was at her most impressive."

Robby Albarado was all smiles following the Juvneile Fillies Turf (Ted Terquinio/Horsephotos.com)

"I thought (House of Grace) ran well," trainer Ken McPeek said of the third-place finisher. "It was a turf course that obviously favored speed because the horses that were one and two early ended up that way. Mike (Luzzi) did a good job sneaking her up through the rail. For a closer in a field where speed held, she ran good."

Jungle Tale (Lion Heart) rallied from last for fifth, followed by La Nez (Storm Creek), Potosina (Cactus Ridge), 3-2 favorite Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer), Smart Seattle (Smart Strike), Lisa's Kitten (Kitten's Joy), Elusive Galaxy (Ire) (Elusive City) and Junia Tepzia (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]). The also-eligibles Dad's Crazy (Langfuhr), who had upset Tapitsfly in the Miss Grillo, and In the Slips (More Than Ready) did not draw into the field.

"I had a bit of a bump turning into the straight," jockey Johnny Murtagh said of Irish shipper Lillie Langtry. "About halfway down the straight I got pushed out a bit, but I think I was done at the time. I'm not sure if she handled the course. She didn't turn well. She's a big, rangy filly."

"Johnny said the race was a little bit rough," trainer Aidan O'Brien said. "He never got a happy run. I think he got a little bit of a bump early. We'll bring her home and train her for the classics at home."

Tapitsfly took four tries to break her maiden. After accomplishing that agenda item at Saratoga on August 3, she switched to turf and posted a front-running score in the P. G. Johnson S. at the Spa one month later. Tapitsfly hoped to stay on the grass in the October 4 Miss Grillo S. at Belmont, but that event was transferred to the main track. Although Tapitsfly pressed the pace throughout, she ultimately tired and finished second as the 1-2 favorite. Now two-for-two on turf, she has compiled an overall mark of 7-3-2-1, $668,142.