Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Bobby Flay's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock--White Hot {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) fetched $3 million from John Stewart at Tuesday's renewal of Fasig-Tipton's November Sale. The 4-year-old filly, consigned by Elite, agent as hip 168, was mated Apr. 20 to four-time leading sire Into Mischief and is believed to be pregnant and carrying her first foal. Pizza Bianca is out of the unraced mare White Hot, who is a half to G1 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Montjeu) and additional MGSW & MG1SP Gagnoa...

Having sired five Northern Hemisphere Grade I/Group 1 winners since June, Coolmore America's outstanding second-crop stallion Justify registered a 'Future Stars Friday' double when Wise Racing LLC's Hard to Justify stuck on grimly to deny game Irish raider Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The $190,000 Keeneland September yearling made it a half-dozen elite-level scorers for the 2018 Triple Crown winner, whose daughter Just F Y I locked up an Eclipse Award with her hard-fought success in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies not 45...

ARCADIA, USA--Bar those who have raced recently in the US, the European horses arrived at Santa Anita on Sunday evening, with their trainers mostly following on over the next few days. One early bird at the track on Sunday morning was Donnacha O'Brien, who is entitled to want to soak up as much of the atmosphere as he can this week as he has brought a Group 1-winning juvenile to be his first runner at the Breeders' Cup. Only Bob Baffert has accrued more prize-money earnings than Donnacha's father Aidan...

"She really engaged and switched gears. From there, I thought she got the job done," understated journeyman Flavien Prat about his mount, 7-1 Hard to Justify (f, 2, Justify-Instant Reflex, by Quality Road), in Wednesday's rescheduled 'Win and You're In' GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont's Big A meet. The win, her second from two starts, gives Hard to Justify a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf next month at Santa Anita. A big, hearty-looking filly, Hard to Justify broke powerfully and cleanly from the inside...

All who witnessed the Doncaster debut success of Carla's Way (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}--Sulaalaat {GB}, by New Approach {Ire})) already knew that she was a talented performer, but Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa's imposing chestnut had to show it where it matters and she duly delivered in Friday's G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Rockfel S. at Newmarket. Gifted an ideal lead, a strong pace and fast conditions in this seven-furlong "Win and You're In" for the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, the Crisfords' 7-2 shot was not for catching once James...

Lady Eli had a sensational career that got rolling with a Breeders' Cup win at two and culminated with an Eclipse for champion turf female at five. In between, she fought a life-threatening battle with laminitis and captured the hearts of racing fans. She delivered her third foal, an Into Mischief colt, Mar. 6 at Coolmore America and was bred back to Justify. "The Breeders' Cup is the ultimate race test of champions to define and prove yourself against the ultimate competition," said Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura, who now...

LEXINGTON, KY--Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) scored the first of two victories for the Coolmore team, Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore Friday, charging home to a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Favored at 2-1, Meditate bounded away from the stalls to establish position, settling in the three path near the back of the pack as 18-1 shot Spirit Gal (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) carved out an opening quarter in :23.19 and a half in :47.60. Meditate crept up a bit on the outside to sit...

Bobby Flay has always been content to settle for a bit of slow cooking when it comes to his Thoroughbred breeding program, but this particular project probably took a little longer than even the patient chef and restaurateur expected. Flay purchased the yearling filly White Hot (Ire) for 1,250,000 guineas at the 2014 Tattersalls October sale on the advice of his late bloodstock agent James Delahooke. Eight years later, he figures to be paid back, with interest, when her Breeders' Cup-winning daughter Pizza Bianca (Fastnet Rock {Aug}) sells with Elite...

The GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf looks like a tough spot for Xigera (Nyquist). She's 8-1 in the morning line, drew the 13 post, is facing a strong group of European challengers and her only win came in a maiden race. But she's not out of this, not as hot as her stable is. In their ninth year in the sport and after an inauspicious start, Richard and Tammy Rigney's Rigney Racing is enjoying a dream season. With seven wins, they were the leading owner at the spring meet...

Keeneland opens its highly anticipated fall meet Friday with a trio of graded stakes that each provide the winners with a spot in the gate for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held in Lexington the first weekend of November. The highlight of the day will be the GI Darley Alcibiades S., a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Ken McPeek and Brad Cox have taken turns the last few years, each winning two of the last four, and McPeek has the morning-line favorite in last-out GIII...

Having been scratched from the GIII Soaring Softly S. last weekend, 'TDN Rising Star' Haughty (Empire Maker) was re-routed for Friday's $150,000 Penn Oaks at Penn National and may have been a touch ring-rusty, but proved far too classy for her four overmatched rivals. A bit hesitant to load and on edge waiting for the gates to spring, the 2-5 chalk was tugging for her head as they raced under the wire with a circuit of the soft-rated turf course to travel as 60-1 outsider and turf debutante Irie Empress...

Bobby Flay homebred Pizza Bianca, heroine of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, punched her ticket to Royal Ascot in style here. In an impressive 2021 campaign, Pizza Bianca broke her maiden over the Saratoga grass on debut July 22 at Saratoga and jumped right into Grade I company, finishing second behind Wild Beauty (Frankel {GB}) in Woodbine's GI Natalma S. Sept. 19. That set her up for a run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, where she posted a half-length victory at 9-1....