Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and Breeders' Cup Turf Top Contenders
by Patricia Woo | Nov 1 2010
Midday looks primed to repeat in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, a 1 3/8 mile race with a purse of $2M held this year on Friday, Nov. 5. The lightly raced 4-year-old daughter of Oasis Dream won both her starts in Britain this year – the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood Racecourse in July and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse in August . The Henry Cecil trainee also won the “Win and You're In” Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-1) at Longchamp in September to guarantee a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Looking sharp is 4-year-old Japanese invader Red Desire, who has rebounded from her campaign in Dubai to show some needed consistency off her third-place finish in the Gr. 1 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes at Belmont in October for trainer Mikio Matsunaga. Also seeking an upset is Harmonious, a 3-year-old Dynaformer filly trained by John Shirreffs. She looked impressive in her emphatic victory over a talented field in the Gr. 1 Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup on Oct. 16. And keep an eye on Jonathan Sheppard's Forever Together, who won this race in 2008, and despite a lackluster 2010 campaign, could come up big again on Nov. 5.
Workforce tops the list of contenders for the $3M Gr. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf, a 1 ½ mile race for 3-year-olds and up which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 6. The British-bred son of King's Best is trained by Sir Michael Stoute, who also trained last year's defending Turf champion Conduit. Workforce shot to stardom with his compelling Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October, bouncing back from a flop in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July. The 3-year-old also romped in the Investec Derby at Epsom Downs in June by seven lengths.
Nipping at Workforce's heels is Debussy, who defeated Gio Ponti in the Gr. 1 Arlington Million Stakes in August in his first foray on North American turf. This 4-year-old John Gosden trainee subsequently came in third in the Champion Stakes (Grp 1) at Newmarket in October. There is also Jean-Claude Rouget's Bekhabad, who came in fourth behind Workforce in the Arc after a troubled trip.
Among the top North American contenders for the Breeders' Cup Turf is Winchester. A 5-year-old son of Theatrical and trained by Christophe Clement, Winchester has shown improvement this year, winning three of his last six races. He defeated Gio Ponti in the Gr. 1 Manhattan Handicap in June and most recently captured the Gr. 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic in October.
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