JUVENILE FILLY DIARY
OCTOBER 6, 2005
by Hunter T. Houlihan
Trainer Bob Baffert sent out another budding superstar on Saturday
when DIAMOND OMI (Giant’s Causeway) held on for a three-quarters-of-a-length win
in the $200,000 Oak Leaf S. (G2) at Santa Anita. The chestnut miss received a
ground-saving trip on the rail from David Flores, gained the lead turning for
home and held off a late run from Del Mar Debutante S. (G1) heroine WILD FIT
(Wild Wonder), the 2-5 favorite. Baffert has not committed to the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies (G1), but we’ll keep an ear out to see if he changes his mind.
The last chance for other two-year-old lassies to get a race in before the
Breeders’ Cup is this weekend in either the Frizette S. (G1) at Belmont or the
Alcibiades S. (G2) on the opening-day card at Keeneland. The former will be
drawn on Thursday, with Spinaway S. (G2) queen ADIEU (El Corredor) listed as
probable as well as Sorority S. winner KEENELAND KAT (Hennessy) and Barretts
Debutante S. heroine CATCH MY FANCY (Yes it’s True), all of whom were mentioned
last time in the Juvenile Filly Diary.
The one-mile event promises to be an interesting preview of the 1 1/16-mile
Juvenile Fillies, as both races will be contested at Belmont around one turn.
Arlington-Washington Breeders’ Cup Lassie S. (G3) runner-up EX CAELIS (Fusaichi
Pegasus) heads an 11-horse contingent for the 8 1/2-furlong Alcibiades. The dark
bay miss gets top jockey Edgar Prado in the irons, but she’ll have to face
Bassinet S. winner DIXIE DREAMER (Mutakddim) among others. Another potential
upset candidate is MAGGIE SLEW, from the last crop of 1977 Triple Crown winner
Seattle Slew and the last of his progeny to race.
Next time I’ll look at the top three races for juvenile fillies that have
been run this
year, and start to narrow down the Breeders’ Cup picture after the last round of
prep races take place this weekend.