Essential Quality is also a big contender for Brad Cox after winning the Futurity at Keeneland.
That’s a first-day blank for the Europeans for the second year running. We need a Bounce-Back Saturday tomorrow.
Proceedings conclude with the Juvenile at 10.15. Jackie’s Warrior is the likely favourite for Steve Asmussen, having bolted up in the Champagne Stakes at Belmont last time.
Mother Earth finished well and probably got up for second, Miss Amulet third but that was a wire-to-wire performance from Aunt Pearl and Florent Geroux.
The European challengers here are Jessica Harrington’s Oodnadatta, third in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last time, Ken Condon’s Miss Amulet, who was a close second in the Cheveley Park at Newmarket, Nazuna for Roger Varian – she was second in the Rockfel – and Mother Earth for Aidan O’Brien.
Here’s Mother Earth in the Fillies’ Mile – and remember, she’s the one the commentator is calling as Snowfall …
Aunt Pearl is a firm favourite at the moment at 9-5, with Campanelle next in on 9-2. Plum Ali is attracting money too on the back of her win in the Miss Grillo at Belmont Park, when Editor At Large was a close third.
Campanelle, of course, is very familiar to European fans, having taken both the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot and the Prix Morny at Deauville so far this year.
This is the Morny, she’s going to take some catching:
European hopes of a winner on the first day of the meeting now depend on the Juvenile Fillies’ Turf, and the biggest obstacle in their way, according to the betting at least, is Brad Cox’s Aunt Pearl. She took the Jessamine Stakes last tie out, and it was a very tidy performance.
Aftertiming alert: I should have pointed out that Vequist was in the vid of Dayoutoftheoffice, finishing second by two lengths. The pair of them had the finish between them again but there was a switcheroo in the form, as Vequist charged up the rail for the win.
Princess Noor ridden, Dayoutoftheoffice in front, down the stretch they come, Vequist challenges
“What a showdown†the track announcer says. And they’re off and running for the Juvenile Fillies’!
Ken McPeek’s other runner in the race, 14-1 shot Crazy Beautiful, also featured in that last video, finishing second to Girl Daddy after having all sorts of trouble getting a run in the stretch.
Princess Noor is steady in the market at 2-1, with Simply Ravishing next on 5-2 and Dayoutoftheoffice on 7-2. And there’s also support for Girl Daddy, the winner of the Pocahontas Stakes.
And here’s another contender that’s unbeaten in three starts: Simply Ravishing for Ken McPeek, who has yet to saddle a Breeders’ Cup winner despite 31 attempts.
She won the Grade One Alcibiades Stakes over track and trip last time:
The field is small but the depth is considerable. Dayoutoftheoffice is also unbeaten in three, having taken the Grade One Frizette at Belmont last time by two lengths.
Next up, we’re on to the dirt for the Juvenile Fillies’, and a small field of just seven runners headed by current 2-1 favourite Princess Noor, unbeaten in three starts. Bob Baffert’s filly has never really come off the bridle, for instance in the Debutante Stakes at Del Mar:
Battleground finished really strongly from off the pace but was a little slow from the gates and never looked like getting seriously involved.
He was still clear best of the Europeans, but this is a track where everything needs to go right and the favourite was on the back foot from the off.
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