Brown Aims for Fourth Straight BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

Trainer Chad Brown will try to capture his fourth consecutive $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park with Selflessly. Winner of the Sept. 29 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) at Belmont Park in her second start, Selflessly is part of an overflow field

In 11 runnings of the Juvenile Fillies Turf, Brown has trained five winners: Maram (2008), Lady Eli (2014), New Money Honey (2016), Rushing Fall (2017), and Newspaperofrecord (2018).

"Fortunately, over the years we've had a lot of fillies—all a little bit different individually—but horses that really fit that race," Brown said.

Klaravich Stables, which owns Newspaperofrecord, also owns Selflessly.

Half of the Juvenile Fillies Turf field was bred in Ireland, while Daahyeh was bred in Great Britain, reflecting the strong European flavor of the race. Selflessly and Sharing are Maryland-breds, while Abscond, Crystalle, Etoile, Fair Maiden, and Sweet Melania are Kentucky-breds.

Four fillies earned automatic berths through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series—Natalma Stakes (G1T) winner Abscond, Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac-Criterium des Pouliches (G1) winner Albigna, Shadwell Rockfel Stakes (G2) winner Daahyeh (GB), and JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) winner Sweet Melania. 

The Europeans have entered a strong contingent. Albigna, Daahyeh, Etoile, Living In The Past, Shadn, and Tango are exclusively European-raced, as is Unforgetable.

Two others have form that straddles the continents. Croughavouke started twice in Ireland before being purchased privately by Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal. She was moved to trainer Jeff Mullins in Southern California, where she ran second in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and Surfer Girl Stakes at Santa Anita.

Applecross, first on the also-eligible list, raced twice in Great Britain before moving to Richard Baltas' Southern California barn. Owned by Medallion Racing, Next Wave Racing, Jerry McClanahan, and Mark Stanton, she ran third in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Aidan O'Brien trains two horses entered in the Juvenile Fillies Turf—Etoile and Tango. Though he has won 12 Breeders' Cup races, O'Brien has never sent out the winner of the Juvenile Fillies Turf. O'Brien trainees Alice Springs in 2015 and Heart Shaped in 2008 finished second, and September finished third in 2017.

O'Brien's son Joseph trains Unforgetable. The former jockey rode St Nicholas Abbey, trained by his father, to victory in the 2011 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).