Happily the Star in Juvenile Fillies Turf

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Happily the Star in Juvenile Fillies Turf
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Photo: Mathea Kelley/BloodHorse
Happily wins the group 1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Chantilly

While the race usually is a difficult puzzle, considering the light form on 2-year-old fillies and a huge influx of European runners, this year's $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Del Mar features a ready-made star in Happily.

Even with strong European participation in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, North American-based runners have won seven of the nine previous runnings and the race has proved to be a coming out party for stars like Lady Eli and Catch a Glimpse.

Still this year's focus has to start with two-time group 1 winner Happily, who is campaigned by owners assocated with Coolmore. She won the Sept. 10 Moyglare Stud Stakes (G1) at the Curragh, then topped males Oct. 1 in the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (G1) at Chantilly in France. The daughter of Galileo (IRE) would seemingly have the European championship sewn up.

By the world's preeminent sire, Happily is out of the group 2-winning Storm Cat mare You'resothrilling and is a full sister to three group winners, including Marvellous, winner of the 2014 Etihad Airways Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1), and multiple classic winner Gleneagles.

Considering she's shipping to Southern California for the Breeders' Cup, trainer Aidan O'Brien must figure she's still got plenty left in the tank after six starts this year.

Barry Irwin, who purchased the Irish-bred Capla Temptress for Team Valor with the Breeders' Cup in mind, is not so sure about Happily.

"In Europe, class tells. In America, style counts," he said. "It doesn't make any difference how much class you have. If you can handle the course, you are going to do well. If you have a lot of class but can't handle the course, you've got no shot.

"Happily has the most proven class. Whether she'll adapt to that course ... I have my doubts. In her last race (in France) she needed a lot of room there at the end to get up. The horse to beat is that Chad Brown filly at Keeneland. She has the style that is going to work on that course. She is unbelievably explosive and she's a pistol."

Irwin was speaking about Rushing Fall, who races for Bob Edwards' e Five Racing Thoroughbreds. The daughter of More Than Ready  came from 12th to win Keeneland's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/16 miles. The half sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Milam (by Street Sense ) was the 9-10 choice at Keeneland off a similarly impressive performance over a mile at Belmont Park Sept. 16.

Brown also trains Significant Form, a one-length winner of Belmont's Miss Grillo Stakes (G3T). The Brereton Jones-bred filly by Creative Cause  was well-backed and easily finished first in her Aug. 27 debut but was disqualified and placed seventh. She won the Miss Grillo as the even-money favorite. In her immediate wake were Best Performance and Orbolution, who have also made their way to Del Mar.


Entries: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T)

Del Mar, Friday, November 03, 2017, Race 6

  • Grade IT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $1,000,000
  • 2 yo Fillies
  • 2:25 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Best Performance (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 122 Christophe Clement 12/1
2 2Happily (IRE) Ryan L. Moore 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 9/2
3 3Now You're Talking (IRE) Wayne Lordan 122 Joseph O'Brien 30/1
4 4Madeline (IRE) Andrea Atzeni 122 Roger Varian 20/1
5 5Ultima D (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 122 Wesley A. Ward 12/1
6 6Orbolution (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 20/1
7 7Capla Temptress (IRE) Joel Rosario 122 William I. Mott 6/1
8 8Significant Form (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Chad C. Brown 8/1
9 9Fatale Bere (FR) Kent J. Desormeaux 122 Leonard Powell 15/1
10 10September (IRE) Seamus Heffernan 122 Aidan P. O'Brien 6/1
11 11Rushing Fall (KY) Javier Castellano 122 Chad C. Brown 7/2
12 12Dixie Moon (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Eurico Rosa Da Silva 122 Catherine Day Phillips 20/1
13 13Juliet Capulet (IRE) Lanfranco Dettori 122 John H. M. Gosden 12/1
14 14Moon Dash (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mike E. Smith 122 Michael Stidham 15/1
15 15Retro (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 122 Richard E. Mandella 20/1
16 16Goodthingstaketime (IRE) Florent Geroux 122 James A. Stack 30/1