Moonshine Memories brings a perfect three-for-three mark into the opening Breeders’ Cup race on Saturday, the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies (G1), and has been installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite against 12 rivals.
Trained by Simon Callaghan, Moonshine Memories broke her maiden and captured the Del Mar Debutante (G1) over the same San Diego track the Breeders’ Cup will take place on, and she brings along Flavien Prat for the ride. The jockey was aboard for not only the Del Mar Debutante but also the Malibu Moon filly’s easy score in the Chandelier Stakes (G1) most recently on September 30.
Separationofpowers is a major threat to Moonshine Memories wrapping up champion three-year-old filly honors in this contest. The Chad Brown-conditioned daughter of Candy Ride broke her maiden by 11 lengths at Saratoga, was a subpar third in the Spinaway Stakes (G1), but returned on October 8 at Belmont Park to romp by 3 1/2 lengths in the Frizette Stakes (G1). The bay miss earned a field-best 104 BRIS Speed rating for that effort and keeps regular rider Jose Ortiz holding the reins Saturday.
Among those lining up against Moonshine Memories and Separationofpowers is Heavenly Love, who drew the rail post under Julien Leparoux. The Mark Casse-trained daughter of Malibu Moon took two tries to earn her first win, doing so on the turf at Kentucky Downs on September 7, and returned to the main track at Keeneland for a 5 1/2-length romp in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) last out.
Piedi Bianchi finished second in the Del Mar Debutante and third in the Chandelier behind Moonshine Memories, and will attempt to turn the tables on her rival here. The Doug O’Neill pupil broke her maiden going five furlongs at Del Mar in August and brings Mario Gutierrez along for the ride. Alluring Star also will try to upset the apple cart after a runner-up effort in the Chandelier. The Bob Baffert charge broke her maiden by 2 1/2 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on September 3 under returning jockey Joe Talamo.
Caledonia Road and Maya Malibu were second and third, respectively, in the Frizette, and Maya Malibu also filled the runner-up spot in the Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in September. Caledonia Road is the only other filly in this field with a triple-digit BRIS Speed rating, earning a 100 figure for her Frizette second.
Wonder Gadot is something of a question mark in this race, having never competed on dirt before. The Medaglia d’Oro filly took an allowance by four lengths in her career debut over Woodbine’s turf in late August, returned three weeks later to finish a close third in the grassy Natalma Stakes (G1), and exits a six-length wire job in the Mazarine Stakes (Can-G1) on Woodbine’s synthetic Tapeta track.
Princess Warrior was runner-up in the Alcibiades as the 3-2 favorite, and will try to earn her first stakes win in this spot for trainer Kenny McPeek. Blonde Bomber will be racing at a track other than Gulfstream Park in the Juvenile Fillies, having broken her maiden by 4 1/2 lengths and taken the Our Dear Peggy Stakes by 7 1/4 lengths in her past pair. Stainless was well-beaten against graded rivals on the main track at Saratoga but improved a bit last out when second in the Jessamine Stakes (G3) over Keeneland’s turf. Gio Game was a nine-length maiden winner in her last start and takes a major class jump here for Casse.
Tell Your Mama has been well-beaten in her two lifetime starts thus far and switches from trainer Geoff Mulcahy to Bob Hess Jr. for this one.
