Trip the Key in Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

Turf racing is all about the trip, and with a full field of 14 expected for the $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 7, a clear lane in the stretch will be paramount to success. The distance of the Filly & Mare Turf varies to location, and at Keeneland the distance is 1 3/16 miles with a good run down the stretch before the first bend.

Alex Campbell Jr.'s homebred Mean Mary figures to be on the front end. The 4-year-old Scat Daddy filly won three stakes in a row while on the engine this year and carried the field to the wire of the Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course, yielding by a neck to uber-talented Rushing Fall.

E Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Rushing Fall is perfect in three starts this year and is 11-2-0 in 14 career starts, including a score in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.

Experience on the Keeneland course is a handy tool, and the 5-year-old More Than Ready  mare is a Keeneland specialist, having won five of six starts on the local course. Her latest was a three-quarter-length victory July 11 in the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at 1 1/16 miles.

Peter Brant's Sistercharlie won the Filly & Mare Turf at Churchill Downs in 2018 and was third last year at Santa Anita Park. She's only made two starts this year—both at Saratoga—for trainer Chad Brown and might be making her final start this go-around and must be considered a strong player.

Another strong player is Allen Stable homebred Civil Union (War Front —Photograph, by Unbridled's Song), the winner of the Oct. 10 Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. The 5-year-old has only made eight starts, but one was at Keeneland in October 2018.

"She came out of the Flower Bowl really well, and she had a good work on the turf here (Oct. 25)," said trainer Shug McGaughey from New York. "I'm in pretty good shape. The trip is important in grass racing. I have a top rider in Joel (Rosario), and I'll leave it in his hands and take it from there.

"Except for Mean Mary, we've pretty much beat everybody who will be in it, so I'm pretty confident we fit with them. I don't really know about the Europeans—I'm not sure they are as good as they have been, but they're always strong."

McGaughey ran another Allen-homebred daughter of War Front, and a Flower Bowl winner, in the 2017 Filly & Mare Turf. War Flag was sixth.

European invaders have won three of the past four, including last year with Iridessa. The big names from overseas this year feature classic winner Peaceful.

Entries: Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T)

Keeneland, Saturday, November 07, 2020, Race 7

• Grade IT
• 1 3/16m
• Turf
• $2,000,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Starship Jubilee (FL)	Florent Geroux	124	Kevin Attard	10/1
2	2Sistercharlie (IRE)	John R. Velazquez	124	Chad C. Brown	6/1
3	3Peaceful (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	120	Aidan P. O'Brien	12/1
4	4Mean Mary (KY)	Luis Saez	124	H. Graham Motion	7/2
5	5My Sister Nat (FR)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Chad C. Brown	12/1
6	6Rushing Fall (KY)	Javier Castellano	124	Chad C. Brown	5/2
7	7Terebellum (IRE)	Lanfranco Dettori	124	John H. M. Gosden	20/1
8	8Mucho Unusual (CA)	Flavien Prat	124	Tim Yakteen	30/1
9	9Harvey's Lil Goil (KY)	Junior Alvarado	120	William I. Mott	20/1
10	10Civil Union (KY)	Joel Rosario	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	12/1
11	11Audarya (FR)	Pierre-Charles Boudot	124	J. R. Fanshawe	12/1
12	12Lady Prancealot (IRE)	Manuel Franco	124	Richard Baltas	30/1
13	13Nay Lady Nay (IRE)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Chad C. Brown	20/1
14	14Cayenne Pepper (IRE)	Shane Foley	120	Mrs. John Harrington	8/1