What Are The Available Polls And Rankings?
A good place to start
is the World Thoroughbred Championships Poll for the
Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf Division
(updated October 3, 2005). This list is compiled by a panel of
prominent international journalists and handicappers.
1. Ouija
Board - Great Britain (101)
2. Megahertz - Great Britain (98)
3. Wonder Again (61)
4. Shawanda - Ireland (55)
5. Riskaverse (42)
6. Film Maker (33)
7. Melhor Ainda (31)
8. Alexander Goldrun - Ireland (29)
9. Intercontinental - Great Britain (28)
10. Luas Line - Ireland (20)
A few items of interest concerning this list: The top two ratings are
owned by British bred mares, and in general the list is
weighted to European bred runners. The top rated mare, Ouija Board,
has run in European races exclusively in 2005. Only fillies
or mares comprise the list, of course. This
is an independent list from the
World Thoroughbred Championship Divisional Point Standings.
Here are the World Thoroughbred
Championship Divisional Point Standings
for the Emirates Airline Filly & Mare Turf Division (October 3,
2005). The
World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings
is a Breeders Cup Championship Day qualification tool invented by
the NTRA (National Thoroughbred Racing Association) in conjunction with
Breeders Cup Limited.
1. Megahertz - Great Britain (34)
2. Angara - Great Britain (22)
3. Intercontinental - Great Britain (22)
4. Sand Springs (22)
5. Amorama - France (19)
6. Singhalese- Great Britain (16)
7. Honey Ryder (14)
8. Melhor Ainda (14)
9. Three Degrees - Ireland (14)
10. Film Maker (12)
11. Wonder Again (12)
The
World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings are
compiled from North American Graded Stakes races only. As a result,
none of the European turf classics figure in these point standings.
The
World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings
determine which horses are automatically eligible for a Breeders Cup
Championship race.
A maximum of 14 starters are allowed in
each Championship Day race. If more then 14 horses are entered then
the race is "oversubscribed." This is where the Breeders Cup points
system kicks in. During the year, horses that finish first, second,
or third in Graded stakes races earn points. More points are earned
in Grade 1 events than in Grade 2 events. For example, a winner of a
Grade 1 race earns ten points, while a winner of a Grade 2 race earns six
points. The number of points a horse has is critical when a race is
oversubscribed. The first seven positions in an oversubscribed field
are ranked based on the point system. These seven get to run based
on their points. The last seven positions are determined by a
combination of points earned and the opinions of an expert panel.
This provides a "buffer zone" to allow late bloomers to get a chance to
race against their peers, and in the case of the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf, a
chance for the superior European turf specialists to compete.
The World Thoroughbred Championships Poll
is a better indicator of the top contenders than
The World Thoroughbred Championship
Divisional Point Standings because
it is not dependent on a rigid point system, and because it considers
horses competing in races held outside North America.
Who Are The Players ?
The British bred four
year-old filly
Ouija Board
is trained by the Ed Dunlop
and piloted by the colorful Frankie Dettori.
Ouija Board is
the 2004 winner of the Filly & Mare Breeders Cup Turf and will be favored
to win it again. She overcame a quarter-crack problem in June and
returned to win her final Breeders Cup prep, the Group 3 Princess Royal John Doyle Stakes, September 24
at Newbury. Listed among her victims are
Bago
and
Film Maker.
Another British bred mare, the six year-old stalwart
Megahertz,
is handled by Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel and ridden by another Hall of Famer Alex Solis.
Megahertz
is a favorite on the U. S. West Coast, and she is known for three
distinctive characteristics. One, for her diminutive stature, two
for her courageous heart, and three for her "come from the clouds" running
style that is reminiscent of the legendary
Silky Sullivan.
The pertinent question is: "How long can she continue do it?"
The competition in the Breeders
Cup Filly &
Mare Turf stands to be much more challenging than that in her
final prep, the Grade 1 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita.
Melhor Ainda, another student of
Bobby Frankel, has ten lifetime races to her credit. The three
year-old filly has flashed brilliance against her peers, winning the Grade
3 Sands Point at Belmont in June under a hand ride, and running a strong
second in the Grade 1 American Oaks July 3 at Hollywood Park.
Melhor Ainda
tried her elders in the Grade 1 Beverly D at Arlington Park in August and
ran a spirited third behind
Angara
and
Megahertz.
In her final prep,
Melhor Ainda
disappointed as favorite by finishing
seventh, behind
Riskaverse,
Film Maker
and
Wonder Again among others.
Bobby Frankel trains yet another Turf standout, the British bred star
Intercontinental. The
five year-old mare has been based in the U. S. since the Spring of 2004.
Intercontinental has
captured an amazing seven Graded Stakes victories since that time,
culminating in a scintillating performance to win the Grade 2 Winstar
Galaxy October 9 at Keeneland in her final prep for the Breeders Cup.
She defeated
Ticker Tape
and
Wend
among others in the Winstar.
For all her brilliance,
Intercontinental
is a Turf mile specialist, and the 1 1/4 mile distance of the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf will definitely be a presiding issue.
The Aga Khan's Irish bred
Shawanda
claimed her first Classic victory in
the Group 1 Darley Irish Oaks at The Curragh on July 17, and trumped
herself with a brilliant victory in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille Lucien
Barriere at Longchamp in September. Unfortunately,
Shawanda
sustained a minor pelvic injury in the Group 1 Prix de L'arc de Triomphe,
won by
Hurricane Run, October 2 at
Longchamp.
Shawanda
finished sixth in the Prix L'arc, running
against males in one of the world's most prestigious Turf Classics, and her
status is not determined for the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Trained by James Toner, the now five year-old mare
Film Maker
was the runner-up to
Ouija Board
in the 2004 Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In her final prep for 2005,
the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park October 1,
Film Maker finished a
determined third behind upset winner
Riskaverse
and
Wonder Again.
Her last victory was May 21 in the Grade 3 Brivesca at Pimlico.
The bridesmaid of the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf hopefuls seems to be
the six year-old mare
Wonder Again,
also trained by James Toner. In her final prep, the Grade 1 Flower
Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park October 1,
Wonder Again finished
second by a head to the late rushing
Riskaverse.
Again.
In the 2004 Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf,
Wonder Again
finished third behind
Ouija Board
and
Film Maker.
Wonder Again
finished third in the Grade 3 New
York Handicap at Belmont in July. She does have five lifetime
victories in Graded Stakes races.
An up and coming European talent, the Irish bred three year-old
Luas Line,
began her career racing in Ireland and Britain.
Luas Line
is twice placed in European Group
Classic races, the most recent a third in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas
May 22 at Curragh. In her Amercian debut,
Luas Line
finished fourth in the Grade 1
American Oaks at Hollywood Park July 3. Breeders Cup Filly & Mare
Turf hopeful
Melhor Ainda
finished second in the same race.
Luas Line
was victorious in her final prep, the
Grade 1
Garden City Breeders Cup Stakes at
Belmont September 10.
The talented four year-old filly
Wend,
trained by William Mott, closed fast to finish second, behind the
brilliant miler Intercontinental,
in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont October 9. With the
Gallant Bloom being contested at a mile on the grass, the connections of
Wend
seemed to be tweaking the running
style of the talented filly. By "throttling" some of her
natural speed early in the race, they may be aiming to save some gas in
the tank for the stretch run.
Wend
put together a five race wining streak in
2005, but with only one Graded Stakes in the streak. In her first
Grade 1 event, the Beverly D at Arlington Park in August,
Wend
finished a fading sixth, some 4 3/4
lengths behind the winner
Angara.
Angara
finished last in the Grade 1
Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park October 1, perhaps dashing the
hopes of her connections to win the Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf October
29.
Sand Springs,
another hopeful, managed a fourth place finish in the Flower Bowl
Invitational, some two lengths off the winner
Riskaverse.
What is the quality of the
field for the 2005 Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf?
The Filly & Mare Turf Division is heavily influenced by European runners in 2005, not unlike any
other year. The American runners are fairly strong in 2005, and the
Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf is certain to be a highly competitive
affair. To get an idea how the 2005 Turf Division compares to
previous years, we revisit champions of the past.
The Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a late starter, having its
inaugural run in 1999. Notable previous winners include
Islington,
Bank's Hill
and
Soaring Softly. A notable beaten favorite
is
Golden Apples.
When comparing these historical names to the Class of 2005, one cannot
draw useful inferences because the Filly & Mare Turf has only a six year
history. So how strong is the Class of 2005? With only days
before the running of the Emirates Airline Breeders Cup Filly & Mare Turf,
names like
Ouija Board,
Megahertz
and
Intercontinental
inspire admiration among racing aficionados and casual observers alike.
The Class of 2005 is strong indeed.
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