Breeders' Cup Diary Filly & Mare Turf

BREEDERS' CUP DIARY

FILLY & MARE TURF

by Jennifer Caldwell

This week we'll analyze the top three races from each division of the

Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. The following races

are strong indicators of how the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) should develop.

Beverly D. S. (G1) - The August 13 Beverly D. saw a full field of Breeders' Cup hopefuls

going 1 3/16 miles at Arlington Park and, for the first time, showed me that

there was another turf distaffer out there with a late kick as formidable as MEGAHERTZ's (GB) (Pivotal). ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) was one up on Megahertz

on this afternoon, both

during the

running of the race and at the finish line. The two raced at the back of the pack, with Megahertz in ninth

and Angara in eighth, before starting their individual rallies. While the former

filly came off the rail and started her run wide, Angara pushed through horses

in midstretch to get up by a neck at the wire. Melhor Ainda (Pulpit) closed well

to finish only a

head back in third and a neck up on WONDER AGAIN (Silver Hawk) in fourth, with SUNDROP (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) another three lengths back in fifth.

Angara earned an excellent 103 BRIS Speed rating and appeared likely to be

one of the favorites for the Breeders' Cup. However,

she'll need to rebound after finishing fifth versus males in the Man o' War S.

(G1) and a ninth in the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) most recently. Her last

two starts came on firm turf, and the Beverly D. was run over a yielding course. Angara will move up with off conditions on October 29.

Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) - Megahertz returned in the October 1 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita to

post a decisive victory in her final Californian appearance. She once again settled in last in the

seven-horse field, before rallying in the stretch to split rivals. Finding

another gear, she came out wide and powered home to take the 1 1/4-mile test by

one-length.

FLIP FLOP (Fr) (Zieten) held the lead for a brief time in the stretch, but

couldn't withstand the winner's late kick. Halo Ola (Arg) (Southern Halo), a

close fifth in the John C. Mabee H. (G1) three back, was another three parts of

a length back in third and was followed by Amorama (Fr) (Sri Pekan), winner of

the aforementioned Mabee.

Megahertz will head into the Filly & Mare Turf with a 5-4-1-0 mark this year.

Small in stature but big in heart, the Bobby Frankel trainee has dominated over firm courses in California,

but she also proved herself

admirably over yielding ground in the Beverly D. She'll conclude a stellar career

in the Breeder's Cup.

Flower Bowl Invitational - Wonder Again, Sundrop, Melhor Ainda and Angara

all made their final prep in the October 1 Flower Bowl at Belmont

Park. Unfortunately, none of them managed to finish on top in the 10-furlong

test. RISKAVERSE (Dyanformer) became the only back-to-back winner of the Flower

Bowl with a head score over Wonder Again. Settled just in behind the

pacesetters, Riskaverse stamped her ticket for another try at the Filly & Mare

Turf by angling out in deep stretch and gutting out the win. She ran eighth in

last year's edition, while fellow contender and Flower Bowl third placer FILM MAKER (Dynaformer) was second 12 months ago.

The winner and runner-up, Riskaverse and Wonder Again, are both multiple

graded stakes winners on the turf at Belmont. The Flower Bowl served as a

terrific prep because it will send five performers to the Breeders' Cup and was

held over the same course.