Brown Quartet Heads Juvenile Fillies Turf

It may sound like a jazz band, but the Chad Brown Quartet looks to make some sweet music in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Santa Anita Park, which drew a full field of 14.

Brown will send out four fillies, all of whom boast excellent credentials, headed by the undefeated Lady Eli, who demonstrated a monster turn of foot winning the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. IIIT) by three widening lengths for Sheep Pond Partners. The daughter of Divine Park   drew post 4 and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

In addition, Brown has the third- and fourth-place finishers of the Miss Grillo, Tammy the Torpedo and Partisan Politics, respectively, along with the European import Sivoliere, an Irish-bred daughter of Sea The Stars who is three-for five, including a third-place finish in the Longines Prix du Calvados (Fra-III) at Deauville.

Sivoliere has the distinction of being ridden by Gary Stevens, who is making another comeback, this time from knee reconstruction surgery. Partisan Politics drew the rail, while Tammy the Torpedo is farther to the inside in post 12.

But there will be plenty of competition for Brown’s foursome from America and Europe. The main threat from California will be Ten Broeck Farm’s Sunset Glow, trained by Wesley Ward, who journeyed to Royal Ascot earlier in the year, finishing second in the group III Albany Stakes before returning to America, where she captured the Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) and Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) on Del Mar’s Polytrack. The daughter of Exchange Rate   will break from post 3.

From Canada comes Conquest Stables’ Conquest Harlanate, who has established herself as the leading 2-year-old filly in Canada with victories in the Natalma Stakes (gr. IIT) on grass and Mazarine Stakes (gr. III) on Woodbine’s Polytrack. The daughter of Harlan’s Holiday is trained by the always dangerous Mark Casse and will break from post 11.

Coming from her base at Fair Hill is Rainha Da Bateria, trained by Graham Motion, who is coming off an impressive victory in the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland. Motion couldn't have been happier when the daughter of Broken Vow   drew post 7.

Heading the European contingent are the Richard Hannon-trained Osaila, winner of three of her last four starts, including the Juddmonte Princess Margaret Stakes (Eng-III) at Ascot; and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Qualify, three-length winner of the CL and MF Weld Park Stakes (Ire-III) at the Curragh in her last start. There were mixed emotions among the European media, with Osaila down on the inside in post, but the Aidan O'Brien-trained Qualify stuck on the far outside in post 14.

Also coming from Europe are the group III-placed Prize Exhibit, who amazingly has already run eight times this year for trainer Jamie Osborne, and the dual winner War Alert.