With less than two weeks remaining until the 2019Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita, the fields for the championship races are finally coming together.
The seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) figures to be a particularly competitive race. While some handicappers seem ready to concede Covfefe the victory, the last four editions of the Filly & Mare Sprint have been won by runners starting at 10-1, 8-1, 66-1, and 25-1, so this race can definitely produce surprising results.
Who do you view as the top contenders for the Filly & Mare Sprint? Check out my top five for comparison.
Come Dancing
Come Dancing fired off a 114 Beyer when she won the April 5 Distaff Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct by 7 3/4 lengths, and her performances since then suggest the big victory wasn't a fluke. After a couple of nice runs going a mile or farther, Come Dancing successfully cut back in distance to post back-to-back sprint victories in the Ballerina Stakes (G1) and the Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2). The only horse to defeat Come Dancing this season has been probable champion Midnight Bisou, and the latter’s triumph came over 1 1/16 miles in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1), a distance longer than Come Dancing’s best.
Covfefe
Covfefe has shown flashes of brilliance this season. She shattered the six-furlong track record at Pimlico and most recently romped to an eight-length triumph in the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs. A grade 1 winner going seven furlongs, Covfefe owns a couple of 107 Beyers and looms as the filly to beat on paper. But 3-year-olds haven’t fared very well in the Filly & Mare Sprint, and Covfefe was dueled into submission when facing older mares in the Roxelana Stakes back in June.
Spiced Perfection
A five-month layoff proved to be no obstacle for Spiced Perfection in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), as she overcame a stumble at the start to rally tenaciously between horses and prevail by a head over the late-charging Dawn the Destroyer. This was a solid comeback for Spiced Perfection, who has already secured a pair of major victories at seven furlongs in the Madison Stakes (G1) and La Brea Stakes (G1), with the latter success at Santa Anita.
Heavenhasmynikki
After she nearly sprung a 31-1 upset over Midnight Bisou in the January 27 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) going 1 1/16 miles, Heavenhasmynikki has thrived cutting back in distance. An easy allowance win at Mahoning Valley was followed by a hard-fought triumph in a quick renewal of the May 11 Vagrancy Handicap (G3) at Belmont. After some time off Heavenhasmynikki returned to score an easy win in the Diana Stakes at Thistledown, an ideal prep for the Filly & Mare Sprint. Heavenhasmynikki is flying under the radar, but you have to respect her winning tendency.
Dawn the Destroyer
Dawn the Destroyer has lost six consecutive graded stakes races this year, but she’s cracked the superfecta every time against major division players like Come Dancing, Spiced Perfection, Heavenhasmynikki and Chalon. She’s shown gradual improvement throughout the season and is always charging late, so a fast pace over seven furlongs in the Filly & Mare Sprint could help her produce a career-best performance.
