Full, classy field in Mrs. Revere awaits bettors

Hot Cha Cha will go for the hat trick in the Mrs. Revere (Equi-Sport Photos)

If you thought great wagering opportunities for the year would be hard to

find following last week's Breeders' Cup bonanza, think again. Saturday's

$175,000

Mrs.

Revere S. (G2) at Churchill Downs, the best stakes of the weekend in North

America, attracted an oversubscribed field of three-year-old fillies. Seventeen

passed the entry box but only 14 will be allowed to start in the 1 1/16-mile

turf test.

As far as favorites go, the public will likely focus on the upset winners of

the past two Grade 1 events in the division, HOT CHA CHA (Cactus Ridge) and MISS

WORLD (Bernstein). Hot Cha Cha is riding a two-race win streak that includes the

Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) and Pucker Up S. (G3) at odds of 8-1 and

5-1, respectively. Miss World won the September 12 Garden City S. (G1) at 13-1

off a first-level allowance score, then ran fourth in the Queen Elizabeth.

Unlike those top-level races at Keeneland and Belmont, the turf will likely be

firm for the Mrs. Revere, though both fillies have handled all types of ground.

Bluegrass Princess will make her Churchill bow on Saturday (Equi-Sport Photos)

The speedy ROMACACA (Running Stag) was second as the favorite in the Pucker

Up, but faltered to fifth after dueling early when facing colts in the Hawthorne

Derby (G3) last time. She might face some early pressure from C. S. SILK (Medaglia

d'Oro), the Pucker Up fifth who is otherwise undefeated on grass with allowance

scores at both Churchill and Keeneland. REDREAMIT (Tapit) is another potential

pace factor having taken the Twin Lights S. at Monmouth Park in gate-to-wire

fashion.

MARY'S FOLLIES (More Than Ready) returns to the turf for only the second

time, her first attempt having resulted in a half-length victory in the Boiling

Springs S. (G3) at Monmouth. Two longshots trained by Ken McPeek to watch for

are STRIKING DANCER (Smart Strike), a multiple allowance winner on grass whose

only unplaced effort on the surface was a result of showing speed early rather

than coming from off the pace as is the norm.