BC Filly & Mare Sprint

BREEDERS' CUP

PREVIEWS

Friday's inaugural Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint has drawn a competitive

field of 10 distaffers going six furlongs on Monmouth Park's dirt track. Two of

the contenders have distinguished themselves from their counterparts, though,

and we're picking these two on top for this first running.

Dream Rush will try to earn her third straight score in the Filly & Mare Sprint (Eleanor Gustafson/Horsephotos.com) DREAM RUSH (Wild Rush) is our choice to win in light of her many easy scores this season. The Richard Violette Jr. trainee broke her maiden at Belmont Park last September and then took an allowance at Churchill Downs in October, winning both of those starts by a combined 9 1/4 lengths. She suffered her first career loss in her 2007 debut, just missing by three parts of a length in a Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer in late January. The dark bay miss soon got back on the winning track, capturing her stakes debut, the Old Hat S. (G3), and earning the first of five straight triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings. Dream Rush enters this event off easy wins in the Prioress S. (G1) and Test S. (G1), and has been working well at Aqueduct to prepare for her first Breeders' Cup try. Eibar Coa, aboard for those last two, has the return mount, and we can't pick against the pair. LA TRAVIATA (Johannesburg) drew instant attention with a scintillating 13 1/4-length debut maiden win at Churchill in early June. She proved that was no fluke with another dominating performance, taking the Post Deb S. over Monmouth's dirt in late July. The dark bay filly, who will be running in Francois Parisel's name as trainer Patrick Biancone serves a year suspension, has just one more start to her credit, posting a 9 1/4-length victory in the Victory Ride S. (G3) at Saratoga. La Traviata readied for this race with consecutive bullet moves at Keeneland. Even though the sophomore has trounced every rival she's ever met, the lack of seasoning gives us cause for concern, which is why we're tabbing her to fill out the exacta instead of starting it. She'll be dangerous, nonetheless, especially with Julien Leparoux taking up piloting duties once again.

MISS MACY SUE (Trippi) is our best pick for some value. The Kelly Von Hemel

charge loves the six-furlong distance, taking the Winning Colors S. (G3) at

Churchill and racking up a 9-3-1 mark from 16 starts at three-quarters. Like

many in this field, the dark bay four-year-old has no racing experience at

Monmouth, but is better traveled than others, most recently taking the

Presque Isle Downs Masters S. Miss Macy Sue is a threat in the top three, and

could even surprise with a win if our top two knock each other out in an early speed

duel. Eusebio Razo Jr. has the return call.

OPRAH WINNEY (Royal Academy) was recently featured on her almost namesake's

popular daytime talk show and will probably go off a lot lower than her morning

line of 6-1 suggests. The gray miss has a chance in the exotics off two straight

wins going the distance. One of those, the Regret S., came at Monmouth, and

Oprah Winney would just need to run back to the form that saw her take the

Barbara Fritchie Breeders' Cup H. (G2) in mid-February to challenge for it all.

Garrett Gomez in the saddle just adds to her chances.

SHAGGY MANE (Bertrando) was a dominant performer versus much lesser last year, but has

had mixed success when taking on stiffer company as a four-year-old. However, the dark bay miss

just missed by a half-length in the Princess Rooney H. (G1) over Calder's good

track two back and could find herself facing the same conditions on Friday. If

the track comes up with some moisture, Shaggy Mane could make her presence felt

in the gimmicks.

MIRACULOUS MISS (Mr. Greeley) is another trying to regain her sophomore form.

The Steve Klesaris trainee captured three straight graded events last year,

including the Endine H. (G3) at this same distance. She's winless in four starts

so far this season, but was third in the Ballerina S. (G1) in late August and

could finish out the superfecta at a price here. Like La Traviata, BARONESS

THATCHER (Johannesburg) will be running in Parisel's name here. The chestnut

miss began the year right, taking the Santa Ysabel S. (G3), but hasn't found the

winner's circle since. She did just miss by a nose in the Ballerina and was a

closing third in the Thoroughbred Club of America S. (G3) in her past two,

though. She could pick up a check.

MARYFIELD (Elusive Quality) won the Ballerina most recently, but the bay mare

is a bit erratic, usually winning big before throwing in a few dismal efforts.

If she continues that trend, she won't factor here. We'll take a stand against.

JAZZY (Arg) (Mutakddim) made her U.S. debut on Monmouth's turf, running second

by a nose in the Incredible Revenge S., before adding Saratoga's Capades S. to

her record. The switch to dirt proved to be no problem last out when she

captured the Gallant Bloom H. (G2), but we're not convinced she can handle a

group of this caliber on the main track just yet. We'll let her beat us. WILD

GAMS (Forest Wildcat) is another who loves six furlongs, and did well in her

past two, taking the Thoroughbred Club of America and running second in the

Presque Isle Downs Masters. However, those both came on synthetic surfaces

and we fear the four-year-old could regress while returning to the main track.