BC Juvenile Fillies Pedigree Profiles - 2010

2010 BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES - PEDIGREE PROFILES

This year, six of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly entrants will confront a dirt racing surface for the first time in their brief careers. Some have the breeding to enjoy the dirt while others will want no part of it. The field is fairly contentious and includes four Grade 1 winners, A Grade 3 winner, Graded stakes placed runners and an undefeated filly.

AWESOME FEATHER (Awesome of Course – Precious Feather, by Gone West)

Pedigree:  Awesome of Course is a fairly obscure Florida-based sire and he won only a couple of minor sprint stakes races. He is a half brother to stakes winners Imperfect World, Monsieur Cat, and the dam of Graded stakes winner Krypton.  Awesome Feather’s dam Precious Feather was a multiple stakes winner and her second dam Last Feather was a Group 3 winner in France. Third dam Quill was Champion Two Year Old Filly and blue hen.

Surface:  Awesome Feather is undefeated over fast dirt. She hasn’t encountered an off track, but her pedigree indicates that it shouldn’t bother her.

Outlook: Awesome Feather is undefeated and basically untested. She is only the third filly to sweep the Florida Stallion Stakes series in Florida and has won all of her races by a combined 20 lengths. She’s won on the lead, pressing the pace and from off of the pace. The “who did she beat?” question comes into play here, but her winning times are consistent with the rest of this field.

A Z WARRIOR (Bernardini - Carson Jen by Carson City)

Pedigree: Bernardini’s offspring have been surprisingly precocious but have shown the quality one would expect from a stallion with his talent and pedigree.  A Z Warrior’s half siblings EZ Warrior and JZ Warrior are multiple stakes winning sprint specialists. Both are by sprint sires, but AZ Warrior may want to travel farther than her siblings.  Their dam Carson Jen is a multiple stakes placed sprinter.

Surface: AZ Warrior won over Cushion Track, was so-so on the Polytrack and gave her best performance over the fast Belmont dirt. Her sire has produced winners over the off going.

Outlook: In the Darley Debutante, AZ Warrior was a fast closing second to Wickedly Perfect over Polytrack, which isn’t A Z Warrior’s best surface. She was flattered by Wickedly Perfect’s win over a nice group of stakes fillies in the Darley Alcibiades at Keeneland.  A Z Warrior came back in Frizette, where she galloped away from R Heat Lightning, the recent Spinaway winner.  A Z Warrior has the pedigree, experience and ability to be a serious contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

BELIEVE IN A. P. (A.P. Indy - I Believe in You, by Pleasant Tap)

Pedigree: Believe in A. P. has strong stamina and dirt attributes throughout her pedigree. She is by Breeders’ Cup Classic Champ A.P. Indy and out of a dam by the second place finisher in the same race.    Believe in A. P.‘s  dam was in the money in all four starts and won the Hollywood Starlet, but her promising career was cut short due to injury.

Surface:  Successful over fast dirt, hasn’t encountered an off track but has breeding to appreciate the mud.

Outlook: After butting heads with fillies at Saratoga and Belmont over the summer, Believe in A. P. was a blowout winner at Philadelphia Park.  Like many of A.P. Indy’s progeny, she probably needed time to mature, but this is a tough spot for a repeat win.  Keep an eye on her next year.  

DELIGHTFUL MARY (Limehouse – Deputy's Delight, by French Deputy)

Pedigree:  Delightful Mary has a sprinter/miler oriented dirt pedigree.  Limehouse is a multiple graded stakes winner from five to nine furlongs. The majority of his offspring are sprinters. Delightful Mary is a half sister to the multiple graded stakes winning warrior Delightful Kiss.  Her second dam was also a stakes winner.

Surface:  Untested over dirt.

Outlook: After trouncing the competition by over 11 lengths in her first two starts, Delightful Mary couldn’t catch a loose on the lead Wyomia, who is entered in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.  Delightful Mary may be talented, but she has a lot to prove against top class competition that will set faster fractions than she’s encountered.

HARLAN’S RUBY (Harlan's Holiday - Smiling Eyes, by Saint Ballado)

Pedigree:  Harlan’s Holiday’s offspring are sprinter milers and Smiling Eyes is a full sister to the G-3 stakes winning sprinter Popular.  Harlan’s Ruby has already won at 1 1/16 miles but may not want to go much farther.

Surface: Harlan’s Ruby is a winner over turf and placed over the Polytrack at Keeneland. She was unplaced in her only dirt attempt. 

Outlook:  Harlan’s Ruby was beaten by over nine lengths in her sole dirt attempt at Churchill. She was no match for Wickedly Perfect in the Alcibiades but finished second, ahead of some stakes winning fillies.  Her stalking running style could help, but she’s appears to be ducking the stronger Turf division.

INDIAN GRACEY (Indian Ocean – Miz Betty Grace, by Matty G) 

Pedigree: Indian Gracey has a sprinter/miler pedigree with dirt influences. Her sire is well-bred but hasn’t been very promising at stud. His offspring are sprinter/miler types and he has yet to get a stakes winner in two crops.  Indian Gracey’s dam is a half sister to a couple of stakes-placed runners, one of whom produced Grace 2 winning sprinter Warbling.

Surface:  Untested over dirt.

Outlook: Indian Gracey has been in the money in all four starts. She finally won her maiden in her third start after stretching out to a mile. After leading the pack in the Oakleaf Stakes (G-1) , she tired but still finished third, beaten only 1 ½ lengths. She’s a talented filly who should move forward over dirt, but she’ll have plenty of company on the front end. 

IZSHELEGAL (Macho Uno – Unkatzable, by A.P. Indy)

Pedigree:  Izshelegal has a pedigree to appreciate dirt and a route of ground. By Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Macho Uno, Izshelegal’s distaff family is a long list of whose who and includes multiple graded stakes winners Katz Me if You Can and Cuddles as her first and second dams. Northern Afleet and the classy Tap to Music are also part of this family. 

Surface:  Untested over dirt.

Outlook:  Izshelegal is still a maiden after four starts. She stared her ambitious career with a second place finish in the Landaluce Stakes, but has been off the board against Grade 1 winners in her last two attempts. She has a one-run style and should enjoy the switch to dirt, but she may be up against it class wise. She might be worth a longshot look.

JORDY Y (Congrats – Debt Free, by Fly So Free)  *Second preference Juvenile Fillies Turf

Pedigree:  Congrats is the leading first crop sire and has several stakes horses.  His offspring are winning over all surfaces and distances. Jordy Y is a half sister to stakes winner Cape Time and stakes placed Mississippi Hippie. Her dam is a half sister to the graded stakes winning sprinter Alke; stakes winners Debit My Account and Red and Gold.

Surface:  Jordy Y has spent her career running on Polytrack.  She has a strong dirt pedigree and should do well over the surface.

Outlook:  Jordy Y tried to make up ground over the speed favoring Keeneland track in the Alcibiades in a futile effort. She was only beaten 2 lengths and finished third.  Her off the pace style and experience at the race distance will help her in the Breeders’ Cup Fillies. Coincidently, her connections won this race in 2006 at Churchill with Dreaming of Anna, who prepped for the race over the Woodbine Polytrack.

JOYFUL VICTORY (Tapit – Wild Lucy Black, by Wild Again)

Pedigree:  Tapit, a son of Pulpit, is known for producing classy fillies.  Joyful Victory has a very modest but durable distaff family and one half sibling has raced 67 times.

Surface:  Successful over fast dirt.

Outlook: After winning her debut, Joyful Victory found herself in the deep end of the pool facing winners in the Frizette (G-1). She was a steady third all the way around, beaten by over three lengths. She can move forward off of that race, but this field appears too strong for her current form.

R HEAT LIGHTNING (Trippi – Yellow Heat, by Gold Fever)

Pedigree: R Heat Lightning’s sire and damsire are sons of Forty Niner.  R Heat Lightning is a full sister to stakes placed Hot Trip. Her dam won three of five starts as a sprinter.

Surface: R Heat Lightning is successful over a fast dirt track.  She hasn’t encountered an off track.  Trippi’s offspring are average in the mud.

Outlook: The dominant four length winner of the Spinaway Stakes, R Heat Lightning couldn’t catch A Z Warrior in the Frizette, but finished up well to place second, by 1 ¾ lengths.  She has the ability to sit off of the pace and could rebound in this race.

SOUNDWAVE (Friends Lake - Echo Echo Echo, by Eastern Echo)

Pedigree:  Soundwave has a dirt sprinter’s pedigree. Her sire Friends Lake never won past a mile and hasn’t sired a graded stakes winner. Most of his progeny are sprinters, but he gets the occasional two turn winner.  Soundwave is a half sister to the stakes winning Letgomyecho and another half sister produced last year’s Sapling winner, Western Smoke. Her dam is a stakes placed sprinter.

Surface:  A winner over a fast track.

Outlook:  Soundwave has won three of four starts, including the Monmouth Park NATC Futurity.  Her only defeat came in her debut over the Churchill dirt.  She will try to stretch her speed while contesting the lead in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

TELL A KELLY (Tapit – Evrobi, by Tabasco Cat)

Pedigree:  Tapit, a son of Pulpit, gave us Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly winner Stardom Bound, Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Larah and Alabama Stakes winner Careless Jewel. Tell a Kelly’s damsire won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.  He is the damsire of Florida Derby winner Ice Box (by Pulpit) and last year’s Brooklyn Handicap (G-2) winner Eldaafer (by A.P. Indy), a multiple winner at 1 ½ miles.  Adding more stamina to the mix is Tell a Kelly’s second damsire Alydar.  Tell A Kelly’s dam is a half sister to an Irish stakes placed runner. 

Surfaces:  A Grade 1 winner over Polytrack, Tell A Kelly is also Grade 1 placed over Cushion Track.  Her sire and damsire have dirt pedigrees, but Tell A Kelly’s dam won or was in the money in half of her turf starts and none of her dirt attempts.

Outlook:  Tell A Kelly was an easy 4 ½ length winner of the Darley Debutant over Wickedly Perfect, but offered no resistance to Rigoletta in the closing stages of the Oak Leaf Stakes in her first attempt at two turns. Now that she has experience at the distance, Tell A Kelly should be fitter and could rebound in the B.C. Fillies.

THEYSKENS' THEORY (Bernardini - Heat Lightning, by Summer Squall) *First Preference Juvenile Fillies

Pedigree:  Theyskens' Theory has one of the best pedigrees in the field. Her Champion sire is getting winners over all surfaces. Theyskens' Theory is a half sister to Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Stevie Wonderboy. Her dam is a half sister to the Group 2winner Fair Judgment and her second dam Mystical Mood won the Schuylerville. Theyskens' Theory has inbreeding to the blue hen Weekend Surprise through the half brothers A.P. Indy (Bernardini’s sire) and Summer Squall. 

Surface:  Has won over good to soft turf. Untested over dirt

Outlook:  Theyskens' Theory is a Group 3 winner and was 1 ½ lengths shy of a Group 1 win in the Meon Valley Mile.  Her pedigree is geared more towards dirt, but this talented filly appears to be flexible. She has experience, class and should take to the dirt.  Theyskens' Theory can be a threat wherever she’s placed.