Just F Y I Leads BC Juvenile Fillies Trio in Ashland

A week after the top two finishers of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), Fierceness  and Muth , each took home a grade 1 victory, the top three finishers of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) will rematch for top-level glory in the $600,000 Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland April 5.

It was a sunny afternoon at Santa Anita Park Nov. 3 when Just F Y I , Jody's Pride , and Candied  met to determine the 2-year-old filly championship. Just F Y I proved best on the day while Jody's Pride and Candied closed ground late. The trio meets again at the same 1 1/16-mile distance but have experienced different routes over the last few months.

Video: NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)

George Krikorian's Just F Y I kept her unbeaten record intact. Pairing her Breeders' Cup victory with an easy, 3 3/4-length win in a sloppy Frizette Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack Oct. 7 earned the Justify   filly an Eclipse championship.

Ready to start her sophomore campaign in Gulfstream Park's Davona Dale Stakes (G2) March 2, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott had to scratch his champion that morning with a fever. Returning to the work tab at Payson Park Training Center March 18, she has worked two four-furlong bullets to prepare for the Ashland.

"Would I prefer to have another breeze in her—another breeze or two—before we run? Probably. Ideally," Mott said. "But if you're working backward from the Kentucky Oaks, and you have any visions of that in your mind, you have to go ahead and get a race in her.

"Naturally, we'd love to win the race, but we do need to get a race in her before we think about the Kentucky Oaks."

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied has also not raced since her third in the Breeders' Cup. She holds a key advantage over her two main rivals: a start at Keeneland. The daughter of Candy Ride   won the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at the same distance by a length Oct. 6. As she did in the Breeders' Cup, the Todd Pletcher trainee drew the rail.

On the outside in post 8 is Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable's Jody's Pride. Unlike her Breeders' Cup foes, the daughter of American Pharoah   has already made her 3-year-old debut for trainer Jorge Abreu. She returned March 2 at Aqueduct with a 2 1/4-length score in the Busher Invitational Stakes on a sloppy track.

The Field

Five other fillies are looking to spoil the reunion and earn themselves a spot in the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. The Ashland awards qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.

• Juddmonte's Impel  is "nothing but class," according to trainer Brad Cox, who has pointed her to the Ashland since her Oaklawn Park allowance victory March 3. She won her first two starts by a combined 11 3/4 lengths.
• Walking L Thoroughbreds' Shimmering Allure  was fourth to Candied in the Alcibiades before winning the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct Nov. 5.
• Whisper Hill Farm's Leslie's Rose  is a second entry for Pletcher. After winning her first two starts, she finished third as the odds-on favorite in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream.
• Rigney Racing's Halina's Forte  has never been worse than second in four starts. She won the Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct Feb. 17.
• Richard Emmet and Joel Politi's Standoutsensation  makes her stakes debut after two runner-up finishes in allowance company at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The Ashland is race 9 with a post time of 5:16 p.m. ET.