Artemis Agrotera Arrives 'Fashionably Late'

Juvenile filly Artemis Agrotera stretched her legs over the Santa Anita Park main track Oct. 30 after a long travel day the day before. Trainer Mike Hushion appeared a little more weary at Clocker's Corner than his filly after her 14-hour flight from New York to California for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).



"You've seen some other trainers walking around out here without smiles on their faces?" Hushion asked. Hushion will also send out The Lumber Guy in the Xpressbet Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I).



The Tex Sutton flight brought the final load of horses west for the Nov. 1-2 Breeders' Cup World Championships. Other Belmont Park-based were on board, and after the plane touched down in Kentucky to pick up some horses, it had to make an unexpected stop in Oklahoma City to refuel. Strong headwinds were the cause for the extra pit stop.



"She seems OK," Hushion said of Artemis Agrotera. "She'll take a couple of trips to the paddock between now and raceday. She'll have a quick one today and one during the races tomorrow."



Artemis Agrotera, a New York-bred homebred for Chester and Mary Broman carries a two-for-two mark into the Juvenile Fillies. A runaway winner over state-breds in maiden special weight company by 11 3/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 16, she followed with an impressive 1 1/4-length win Oct. 6 over odds-on Sweet Reason in the one-mile Frizette Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont.



The daughter of Roman Ruler  , out of the stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Indy Glory, has plenty of speed, and will use that in the Juvenile Fillies after drawing the rail for the $2 million race.



"Out of the one-hole, we should be on the lead," Hushion said. "We're the inside speed. It would take some horse to outrun us to the first turn."



Others in the field with early speed, She's a Tiger (post 10) and Scandalous Act (post 8), were also out on the track in the morning. Both are quick, but don't have the size of Artemis Agrotera.



"She very big, but very handy on her feet," the trainer said of 16.2-hand big bay. "She's got a lot of leg; it's going to be interesting."



Looks like Artemis Agrotera has another interesting trip ahead of her this weekend.