Three-year-old Filly Diary

THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY DIARY

AUGUST 23, 2007

by Jennifer Caldwell

It was obvious that something was wrong with Acorn S. (G1) winner COTTON

BLOSSOM (Broken Vow) when she finished 10th in the Test S. (G1) on August 4. A

little more than a week later, the Todd Pletcher charge was retired with ligament

damage and ankle chips, and shipped to Kentucky to await her turn in the

Fasig-Tipton Selected Mix Sale on November 4. The bay filly was a game

competitor in all her races, with her only other truly bad placing coming as a

ninth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), and we wish her well in her new career as a

broodmare.

Though Cotton Blossom's retirement left a spot open in the top echelon of the

filly division, it didn't take long to fill it with another talented runner.

LADY JOANNE (Orientate) appears to be returning to the form when she captured last year's Golden Rod S. (G2). The bay lass was a prime candidate for

this season's Kentucky Oaks (G1), but horseman Carl Nafzger didn't rush his

charge, giving her as much time as she needed to make her return, which came on

May 1 in a Churchill Downs allowance. After taking her 2007 bow, Lady Joanne

returned to the stakes ranks with a length score in the Dogwood Breeders' Cup S.

(G3) and a half-length second to OCTAVE (Unbridled's Song) in the Mother Goose

S. (G1).

The sophomore then tried her elders in the Banshee Breeze S. at Saratoga, and

easily handled that field with a 3 1/4-length win. She returned to gut out a

neck victory in the Alabama S. (G1) and turn the tables on Octave, keeping that

rival boxed in on the rail after running in the same spot in the Mother Goose. Lady Joanne earned a 103 BRIS Speed rating for her Banshee Breeze win and

is one of the few top runners in her division to take on older fillies and

mares, giving her an advantage for the October 27 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Nafzger is readying her for her final prep before that championship event in the

October 7 Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland.

Octave has been in the shadow of stablemate and super filly RAGS TO RICHES

(A.P. Indy), but the Todd Pletcher trainee finally got her chance to shine when

the Belmont S. (G1) winner missed some training. After adding the Mother Goose

to her record, the Pletcher trainee was supposed to be pointed for the Test with

her more illustrious barnmate going for the July 21 Coaching Club American Oaks

(G1). Instead, with Rags to Riches catching up on her training, Octave was sent

to the Coaching Club at Belmont Park and the gray filly responded with a

half-length victory in the 1 1/4-mile test, earning a 101 Speed rating for the

effort.

With Octave out of the Test, it was left to Prioress Breeders' Cup S. (G1)

heroine DREAM RUSH (Wild Rush) to take up the slack, and she did so in style.

Leading the field wire-to-wire, the Richard Violette Jr. trainee stamped herself

as a leading candidate for the October 26 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. The

dark bay filly has yet to finish worse than second from eight career starts,

with one of those seconds coming at farther than her optimal distance in the

mile Acorn. As long as she stays sprinting, the filly will be one of the

favorites on the new Breeders' Cup program.

Three other events have produced some promising lasses. SHEETS (Scatmandu)

upheld the incredible form of her maiden debut with an easy 4 1/4-length victory

in the July 7 Azalea Breeders' Cup S. (G3) at Calder. The dark bay miss finished

second in the same maiden special weight that was won by Change Up (Distorted

Humor), who would go on to take the Pocahontas S. (G3). Running third in that

field was High Heels (E Dubai), who captured the Fantasy S. (G2) and then

finished third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Even more notable, finishing fourth

and suffering her only loss to date while making her career bow was Kentucky

Oaks queen and eventual Belmont S. (G1) heroine Rags to Riches. Sheets ran

fourth in the Test most recently, but could still play a role in the Filly &

Mare Sprint.

MOON CATCHER (Malibu Moon) used her familiarity with Delaware Park to take

the Delaware Oaks (G2) on July 14 over the likes of Cotton Blossom, then

finished fourth in the Alabama. The Tim

Ritchey charge appears to be a step behind others in her division, but is still

a classy runner who gives her all. She could continue to improve in the two

months leading up to the Breeders' Cup.

LA TRAVIATA (Johannesburg) began her career in stellar fashion, taking her

maiden debut by 13 1/4 lengths on June 8 at Churchill Downs. On July 22, the

Patrick Biancone trainee continued impressing with a five-length score in the

Post Deb S. at Monmouth Park. The dark bay miss broke on top, but found herself

stalking in third early. Rallying in the stretch, she easily drew off for the

five-length victory, with Change Up running in third. With only two starts under

her girth, La Traviata has some catching up to do with her contemporaries, but

has earned triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings in each of those races. She'll

continue her racing quest in Saturday's Victory Ride S. (G3) on the Travers S.

(G1) undercard.