Girls Take on Boys in BC Mile Thriller

The Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) does not discriminate.

Perhaps when Royal Heroine dashed beneath the wire as the favorite in the 1984 inaugural edition, defeating a strong field of international and American male rivals, she left a little bit of luck for future females in the mile grass test.

Since then, seven editions have been won by the ladies, with Miesque building her legacy in 1987-88, Ridgewood Pearl closing out her career in 1995, Six Perfections leaving a lasting impression in 2003, and Goldikova making history as the first horse to win three Breeders' Cup races when she charged down the stretch in 2008, and again in 2009, and once more in 2010.

This year three fillies come into the 12-horse field with strong credentials and a chance to run down the boys. They are Robert Masterson's 4-year-old Tepin, a seven-length winner of the Oct. 3 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) over the Keeneland course on which the Mile will be contested; the formidable Esoterique, a 5-year-old mare who already defeated males for trainer Andre Fabre; and Noble Damsel (gr. IIIT) winner Recepta, who made the field at the 11th hour the morning of entry day, Oct. 26, after it was announced Lea   will run in the Las Vegas Dirt Mile (gr. I) instead.

NOVAK: Lea to Dirt Mile After Solid Main Track Work

A daughter of Danehill Dancer, Esoterique picked up an automatic Mile berth in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Prix Jacques Le Marois (Fr-I) Aug. 16, and then won the Oct. 3 Sun Chariot Stakes (Eng-I) against her own division for owner Baron Ed De Rothschild. She leaves post 9 under Pierre-Charles Boudot.

Tepin has never faced males for trainer Mark Casse, but soared clear to her second grade I win in the First Lady with an impressive turn of foot to secure her shot at the Mile. Julien Leparoux will be in the irons from the 7 hole.

Recepta, running for Phillips Racing and Pam Gartin, picked up her first graded win for trainer Jimmy Toner in the Sept. 19 Noble Damsel and has taken two in a row after winning the De La Rose Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez has the mount from post 2.

BLOOD-HORSE STAFF: Esoterique Overwhelms Territories in Marois

Finishing sixth in that Marois field was defending Breeders' Cup Mile winner Karakontie, who comes into this spot with just two starts under his belt since he turned back Goldikova's younger brother, Anodin, in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Mile. Following the Mile, Flaxman Holdings' 4-year-old Bernstein runner did not race again until the Aug. 16 Marois, then was third in the Qatar Prix du Moulin (Fr-I) over rain-softened ground Sept. 13. A return to the Mile was the target all along for the Jonathan Pease-trained runner, who will stand at Gainesway Farm in the U.S. when his racing career is done, but he will have to overcome a start from the near outside in post 11.

ANGST: Japan-Bred Karakontie Scores Mile Win

Coming in to challenge are two from the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (gr. IT); winner Mondialiste and third-place finisher Obviously, along with Woodbine-based Grand Arch, who won the Oct. 3 Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IT) over the Keeneland lawn.

Mondialiste unleashed a furious stretch run to gun down pacesetter Obviously in the Sept. 13 Woodbine Mile, building his win streak to three after taking two in a row in England for trainer David O'Meara, including his first group score in the Betfred Mobile Strensall Stakes (Eng-III) Aug. 22. The 5-year-old son of Galileo has a devastating turn of foot and unleashed it to fly past Obviously and hold off the late-closing Lea  . This will be his first Breeders' Cup run.

Obviously will be making his fourth Breeders' Cup Mile appearance, having finished third in 2012, fifth in 2013, and fifth again in 2014. Trainer Phil D'Amato gave the Choisir runner the winter off and made the Woodbine Mile his first start. It will be the frontrunning turf contender's first Breeders' Cup since the death of his late conditioner, Mike Mitchell, who passed away in April after battling brain cancer.

NOVAK: Mondialiste Finds Enough in Woodbine Mile Win

Grand Arch scratched from the Woodbine Mile, which was run over yielding turf, but then ran into similar conditions in the Shadwell and held off Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) contender and Arlington Million (gr. IT) winner The Pizza Man by a head. It was his second win in a row for trainer Brian Lynch, coming on the heels of an Aug. 15 Fourstardave (gr. IIT) victory at Saratoga Race Course.

Invading for a chance is Qatar Prix de la Foret (Fr-I) winner Make Believe and dual group II winner Impassable. Mshawish, who must rebound from a fifth in the Fourstardave, completes the field along with Tourist, third in the Shadwell last out, and Europeans Time Test and War Envoy, the former a group II winner.