BC Filly & Mare Turf

Last updated: 10/27/05 9:47 PM

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

BREEDERS’ CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF (G1), 5TH-BEL, $1,000,000, 3YO/UP, F/M, 1 1/4MT, 2:35 P.M. EDT, 10-29

PP	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	WT
1	LUAS LINE (IRE)	WACHMAN D	SOUMILLON C	119
2	FILM MAKER	MOTION H GRAHAM	VALENZUELA P A	123
3	SUNDROP (JPN)	*SUROOR SAEED BIN	DETTORI LANFRAN	123
4	RISKAVERSE	KELLY PATRICK J	SANTOS J A	123
5	WEND	MOTT WILLIAM I	VELAZQUEZ J R	123
6	FLIP FLOP (FR)	CECIL B D A	GOMEZ G K	123
7	WONDER AGAIN	TONER JAMES J	PRADO E S	123
8	MEGAHERTZ (GB)	FRANKEL ROBERT J	SOLIS A	123
9	FAVOURABLE TERMS (GB)	*STOUTE M R	KINANE M J	123
10	INTERCONTINENTAL (GB)	FRANKEL ROBERT J	BEJARANO R	123
11	MONA LISA (GB)	O’BRIEN AIDAN P	FALLON KIEREN	119
12	KAREN’S CAPER	GOSDEN JOHN H M	ALBARADO R J	119
13	OUIJA BOARD (GB)	DUNLOP EDWARD	BAILEY J D	123
14	ANGARA (GB)	BIANCONE PATRICK L	STEVENS G L	123

A stellar group of 14 fillies and mares will attempt to handle 1 1/4 miles in
the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) on Saturday. Since the
field possesses nine Group/Grade 1 heroines and appears to be wide open on
paper, we’ll use some sentiment in selecting our top choices.

WONDER AGAIN (Silver Hawk) will make her swan song for conditioner Jimmy
Toner, and it would be fitting to see the multiple Grade 1 victress go out on a
high note. The six-year-old lass has been in top form virtually all year but has
had the misfortune of coming up just short, many of those coming with troubled
trips or unlucky post draws. She will be piloted by regular rider and turf
wizard Edgar Prado, has shown an affinity for the Belmont turf course, and was a
huge third in this race in 2004. Her tactical speed could be a big edge in this
seemingly paceless affair, and with a repeat of her last two and a little bit of
luck, we can see the mare go out the winner that she is.

Megahertz is going for her fifth win of the year
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

The exciting MEGAHERTZ (GB) (Pivotal) has been thrilling fans on the West
Coast for years with exhilarating stretch runs, and it’s likely that this will
be the final race of her career as well. Trained by Bobby Frankel, the
six-year-old is arguably in the best form of her life, winning four of five
outings with the lone speed bump coming in the Beverly D. S. (G1) by a head. In
the past she has not fared well when leaving the cozy confines of Southern
California, but
her run at Arlington two starts back should dispel that theory. Alex Solis rides
the electric mare, who could challenge for the top prize under the right pace
scenario.

WEND (Pulpit) lacks the credentials of many of these, but makes up for it
with a world of ability for trainer Bill Mott. The leggy filly reeled off five
consecutive turf scores before a tough trip over a soggy surface in the Beverly
D., and ran arguably her best race to date last out at Keeneland. Breaking
poorly and traveling wide throughout, the four-year-old persevered and finished
gamely for second in what should turn out to be a perfect prep race. Cornelio
Velazquez will guide the classy bay.

FAVOURABLE TERMS (GB) (Selkirk) should fly into this race well under the
radar and is yet another win contender. The Group 1 heroine has displayed solid
form throughout her career, winning Group races in all three years of her racing
career, including a tally in the Nassau S. (Eng-G1) last summer. The last time
the filly was seen she never handled the surface and finished a well beaten
eighth, but throw that out and you a have a fine filly. Well give her another
chance and use her on everything.

Defending champion OUIJA BOARD (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]) comes into this race
with questionable form compared to last year, but it’s impossible to ignore the
class of the four-year-old. The Sir Michael Stoute trainee has been seen just
twice in 2005, including a facile Group 3 win at Newmarket in advance of this
one, but she does draw a tough outside post (13) over the inner turf Saturday.
We would find it unwise to ignore this filly completely and would not be shocked
to see her win, but we’d prefer her use to complete the gimmicks, not start
them.

Intercontinental has finished off the board only twice in her career
(Lauren Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com)

FILM MAKER (Dynaformer) was second in this last last year and has a solid
prep for this, finishing a fast closing third in the Flower Bowl Invitational S.
(G1) over the course. The Grade 1 heroine’s explosive late burst has found her
settling for minor awards in 2005, and it’s likely to happen here once again.
Trainer Graham Motion knows how to get them ready for big races, though, and we
expect she’ll fire big to make a serious run for a top three finish.

We still can’t believe that we’re putting INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) so
far down on this list, but this is not easy pickings when trying to dissect this
race. The often rank but classy five-year-old has been odds-on in five of her
last six starts, four of which resulted in wins, and has done it over three
different turf courses. Her running style will likely find her on or very close
to the lead early, and if she settles, she could be there for a long time. Our
knocks against her, is that she is unproven at the 10-furlong trip, and that she
doesn’t appear to relish anything but a firm turf course. Your call. Once
again we’re stuck with picking a Grade 1 caliber mare far down the list of
picks, but we must do the same with RISKAVERSE (Dynaformer). Although the lass
was all heart in taking the Flower Bowl last out and likes the Belmont course
immensely, she has not shown the consistency it takes to make her strongly
backed with this bunch.

SUNDROP (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) has been unplaced in three consecutive outings
and would be difficult to back in this spot. Her best puts her close, but she
will still be hard pressed to factor. The quirky ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) could be a
big factor on her best day, but it’s hard to envision which Angara will show up
in this affair. Three races prior the mare captured the Beverly D., displaying a
potent late burst, but since the lass has posted fifth- and ninth-place finishes and
doesn’t seem interested. The quality of this field is unquestioned, and we find
it too difficult to endorse her with confidence from the far outside post. MONA
LISA (GB) (Giant’s Causeway) comes in from the mighty Aidan O’ Brian barn and
may take some dollars at the window, but she has just one career win to date and
probably won’t find number two here. Her best could see her fill out some
superfectas, but we’ll let her beat us.

KAREN’S CAPER (War Chant) was a game second in the Queen Elizabeth II
Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) last out and has been close to capturing that
initial Grade/Group 1 win on a few occasions. The three-year-old will have just
two weeks rest since her last start and will be facing the best field of her
life, leading us to believe she might have trouble sustaining her run late. The
same, we think, can be said for LUAS LINE (Ire) (Danehill), the talented winner
of the Garden City Breeders’ Cup H. (G1) early this season. She has traveled a
bunch this year and has been raced quite often. Her best is good, but we’ll take
a firm stand against her. FLIP FLOP (Fr) (Zieten) would need to display
something much better than she has thus far. Her BRIS numbers are simply less
than those of virtually all her competitors.

TRACK BANDIT SELECTIONS:		1st-WONDER AGAIN
		2nd-MEGAHERTZ (GB)
		3rd-WEND