Horse Profile: Content

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Scouting Report

(Editor's note: Originally published in the 2024 BRISnet Breeders' Cup International Report) 

An excellent closing fourth at 15-1 in last year’s Juvenile Fillies Turf, where the race shape was against her, Content returns with an enhanced profile after landing the “Win and You’re In” Yorkshire Oaks (G1). The O’Brien filly has run well below that level in her past two, in extenuating circumstances, and she’s eligible to move up significantly in a more favorable set-up at Del Mar. 

By Galileo and out of five-furlong star Mecca’s Angel, Content is a three-quarter sister to current juvenile filly Bedtime Story, who burst onto the scene by demolishing males in Royal Ascot’s Chesham S. Although both have later birthdates as May foals, Content took a little longer to come to hand than Bedtime Story. 

Content was still given a shot in last year’s Chesham as a maiden, but wound up 13th of 16. She turned the corner in the second half of the season and reached a new level once stretched out to a mile. After springing a 20-1 upset in the Staffordstown Stud (aka Silken Glider) (G3), she exceeded expectations again with her rattling late run at Santa Anita.

With that profile, it’s not a great surprise that Content ended up needing a lot farther than a mile this term. She started out in a classic over a metric mile, the May 12 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) (G1), and pulled hard early before wilting late in a blanket-finish eighth. Content was beaten by a larger margin when eighth again in the Coronation (G1) at Royal Ascot, failing to relax when held up further back off a steady tempo, and she was outpaced by the specialist milers. 

O’Brien pitched her versus older distaffers in the 1 1/4-mile Pretty Polly (G1) to gauge her stamina, and Content passed the test by closing stoutly from last for third to Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn (Turf). If she’d been able to get out into the clear sooner, she likely would have gotten nearer to the top two. Content galloped out past them like gangbusters. 

That earned her a crack at the 1 1/2-mile Irish Oaks (G1) back at the Curragh, where Content suffered a more frustrating loss. Strung up desperately in traffic until a gap materialized, she was an unlucky second to You Got to Me. Content still blitzed home the fastest with a final three furlongs in :34.82. 

In the Aug. 22 Yorkshire Oaks, Content gained revenge on You Got to Me and also turned the tables on Emily Upjohn. Despite reverting to her old hard-pulling habit early as Moore parked her in midpack, Content kicked on to outfinish her familiar foes. She again clocked the best final sectional in :36.23.

By contrast, Content’s two interim starts are unlikely to give much of a pointer to her actual chances at Del Mar. Her 10th in the Prix de l’Opera (G1) on Arc Day is a toss, considering that she was shortening up to about 1 1/4 miles in a paceless race. But O’Brien revealed that there was another factor: because of the French racing rules, she had to wear a hood in order to use her usual earplugs, and the headgear threw her off. 

Content wheeled back 13 days later for the British Champions Fillies & Mares (G1), without the hood, but never got involved. Fanned out wide throughout on Ascot’s soft inner course, she faded to 11th, more than 16 lengths behind the exciting Kalpana and Wingspan (Turf). Three of her worst races have come at Ascot, so maybe it just isn’t her cup of tea.

O’Brien has said in the past that it’s all about the pace for Content. She should get that in spades here. If there’s a cautionary note, the Filly & Mare Turf historically has been elusive for O’Brien; he’s won just once, with Tuesday (2022).