Profiles on Breeders’ Cup Distaff Field
October 28th, 2015
I’m a Chatterbox is a very good bet at 8-1 on the morning line. The chestnut miss has suffered just one unplaced run in her 10-race career, and that came last year at Churchill Downs in the Golden Rod S. (G2). Since then the Kentucky homebred has gone on to sweep the three-year-old filly stakes over the spring at Fair Grounds, run third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and, most recently, take the Cotillion S. (G1) in her final major prep for this race. In between the Oaks and Cotillion I’m a Chatterbox also posted a nose victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), though she was disqualified to second, and finished second in the Alabama S. (G1). Her numbers have remained consistent throughout the year and she has the added advantage of trainer Larry Jones in her corner. Discount a Jones filly in the Breeders’ Cup at your own peril.
2 – Frivolous (30-1)
Frivolous has put together a decent, if inconsistent, year. She started off poorly before recording a trio of triple-digit BRIS Speed numbers when sandwiching a second in the Delaware H. (G1) between wins in the Fleur de Lis H. (G2) and Locust Grove S. Her biggest knock is her Keeneland record. She finished fourth in the Spinster S. (G1) over the track last out, bringing her line to 1-1-1 from five efforts at the venue. She truly seems to do her best running at Churchill. Frivolous will be the second Breeders’ Cup starter for trainer Victoria Oliver, who saddled Forest Legend to a fourth-place finish in the 2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2) at 73-1.
3 – Salama (50-1)
Salama earned her shot in the Distaff via a June 21 “Win & You’re In” race in Peru, and her connections immediately shipped her stateside to begin acclimating in trainer Charles LoPresti’s barn. The sophomore miss was even given a race over track and distance just three weeks ago on October 10. She ran second that day against allowance/optional claiming rivals, which either was a paid workout or a testament of where she really ranks against the Distaff field. That will be determined on Friday, but it should be noted Salama only earned an 88 BRIS Speed rating that day.
4 – Stopchargingmaria (5-1)
With four starts under her girth, Stopchargingmaria appears to be coming into the Distaff fresh. She’s faced off against her rivals all year long, reputing herself well with a 2-1-0 line. Her biggest knock is that she comes from the barn of Todd Pletcher, who shows seven wins, 12 seconds and 13 thirds from 108 starters in the Breeders’ Cup. That’s not a very good win percentage, though it does bode well for her getting a top-three placing (29.6 % in the money). Stopchargingmaria also earned her highest BRIS Speed rating to date (105) when running a half-length second in the seven-furlong Madison S. (G1) in her seasonal debut at Keeneland, which was also her first taste of the Lexington, Kentucky, track. A re-run of that effort could see Pletcher’s top-three percentage get a boost.
5 – Calamity Kate (30-1)
Calamity Kate has also run four times this year, scoring in an allowance/optional claimer at Monmouth Park while making her seasonal bow on May 17 and earning a first stakes win via the July 11 Delaware Oaks (G3). The Kelly Breen pupil also led the way early in the Cotillion S. (G1) before being forced to settle for second after passed by I’m a Chatterbox. The bay miss has never cracked the triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings ranks and doesn’t seem likely to on Friday, which is almost a requirement to win the Distaff.
6 – My Sweet Addiction (20-1)
A career primarily spent in Southern California could end up hurting My Sweet Addiction’s chances in the Distaff. The bay mare didn’t ship in early, so Kentucky’s cool, damp fall climate will probably be quite a shock to her system after the dry heat on the West Coast. The Martin Jones trainee has already been well beaten by others in this field and is probably in the Distaff only because she ran second to Beholder in the Zenyatta S. (G1) last out.
7 – Wedding Toast (4-1)
Wedding Toast brings a three-race win streak into the Distaff after taking the Ruffian S. (G2), Ogden Phipps S. (G1) and Beldame S. (G1) by easy margins at Belmont Park. Prior to those three, however, the five-year-old mare was fourth in the Madison S. (G1) in her one-and-only race at Keeneland thus far. It could be the Godolphin colorbearer wanted more ground than that seven-furlong contest except for the fact that she opened her 2015 campaign with a nice seven-furlong stakes win at Gulfstream Park. Wedding Toast will have to prove herself over the track, and is another who is shipping in late to the party.
8 – Curalina (12-1)
Curalina ran up a trio of wins at the start of her season during the spring, including the one-mile Acorn S. (G1) in early June. She then was awarded the win in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) via I’m a Chatterbox’s disqualification to bring that to four straight. Since then, the Todd Pletcher trainee has been third in the Alabama S. (G1) and second in the Beldame S. (G1). Boasting a start against her elders could come in handy for the sophomore miss, and her morning-line odds may prove more wishful thinking than her actual price come race time.
9 – Stellar Wind (12-1)
Stellar Wind was sent off the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) following a pair of easy wins in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Santa Ysabel S. (G3) over the winter and early spring. However, the John Sadler-trained chestnut encountered early trouble and lost all chance at the beginning of the Kentucky Oaks. She still rallied from well out of it – around 10 lengths behind the leader entering the stretch – to be fourth on the wire. Stellar Wind was given a brief freshening after that disappointment and returned to take the Summertime Oaks (G2) and Torrey Pines S. (G3). The sophomore filly is coming into the Distaff very fresh and could easily outrun her odds.
10 – Yahilwa (20-1)
Yahilwa has been running against older members of the Distaff field all year long. Though only showing one win on the season in the Sixty Sails H. (G3) in April at Hawthorne, she visited the top three in a trio of other races, including a neck third in the Spinster S. (G1) over track and distance last out. The James Cassidy charge also earned only the second triple-digit BRIS Speed rating (103) of her career in that first try at Keeneland, which is encouraging at 20-1 on the morning line.
11 – Untapable (5-1)
Withdrawn due to fever
12 – Got Lucky (6-1)
Got Lucky has had a very good year, racking up a 4-2-0 mark from seven starts, including her most recent win in the Spinster S. (G1) going the Distaff distance of 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland. The four-year-old filly didn’t receive much Breeders’ Cup attention before the Spinster after spending her spring and summer at Monmouth Park. While there Got Lucky captured the Molly Pitcher S. (G3) by 5 1/2 lengths and the Lady’s Secret S. by 4 1/2 lengths, then moved over to Belmont Park for a rallying second in the Personal Ensign S. (G1). The dark bay miss may get overlooked as yet another Todd Pletcher entrant in this field.
13 – Warren’s Veneda (30-1)
Warren’s Veneda made her name trying to run against Beholder early in the year. After easy wins in the Santa Maria S. (G2) and Santa Margarita S. (G1), her connections were hoping for a match up in the Vanity S. (G1) in early May. Alas, Beholder stayed in the barn after running a fever and Warren’s Veneda ended up finishing third to My Sweet Addiction. The long awaited face off occurred in the Adoration S. (G3) in mid-June, with Beholder prevailing under a hand ride. The duo matched up two more times – in the Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) and Zenyatta S. (G1) – with Beholder winning both while Warren’s Veneda finished third and seventh, respectively.
14 – Sheer Drama (9-2)
Sheer Drama deserves her 9-2 morning-line after going 7-3-4-0 this year while facing nothing but graded rivals. The David Fawkes-trained five-year-old improved leaps and bounds over last year, and proved it with wins in the Personal Ensign S. (G1), Delaware H. (G1) and Royal Delta S. (G2). Sandwiched between those were seconds in the La Troienne S. (G1) and Fleur de Lis H. (G2). Sheer Drama strung together five straight triple-digit BRIS Speed figures over the spring and summer, and has been working bullets at Gulfstream Park to ready for the Distaff.
15 – Peace and War (30-1)
Peace and War may now draw into the Distaff field with the defection of Untapable. The Graham Motion pupil has had a relatively light year, running just four times and only three of them for Motion after staring off the season under the tutelage of Olly Stevens. She was third in the Cotillion S. (G1) last out, though, and began her stateside career in 2014 with a win at Keeneland in the Alcibiades S. (G1) during the fall meet.
I'm a Chatterbox photo courtesy of Keeneland/Coady Photography
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