The World Thoroughbred Championship Divisional Point Standings are compiled from North American Graded Stakes races only. 

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 Turf events, 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 ?

With a powerful stretch run in her final prep, the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont Park October 8, Adieu sealed her fourth victory in five lifetime starts.  Adieu, trained by Todd Pletcher, has defeated her main rival Folklore in two of three meetings, including the Grade 2 Spinaway in August at Saratoga.  Preaching as devil's advocate, I must point out that Adieu has never raced Folklore at longer than seven furlongs, and in her only start at one mile Adieu benefited from a sloppy track.  That said, Adieu has defeated the underrated Along the Sea in both the Frizette and the Spinaway.  Adieu is one of the top prospects in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies.   

The filly of the moment is clearly Folklore, daughter of Tiznow and trained by the legendary D Wayne Lukas.  Folklore absolutely obliterated the competition in the Grade 1 Matron at Belmont September 17.  She dispatched six fellow combatants in a sizzling 123 and 3 for seven panels and did not even have to use all her gears.  This was a different Folklore than the one who failed to run down Adieu in deep stretch in the Spinaway in late August.  Folklore won the Matron by an astounding fourteen lengths over the stunned Miss Norman (second) and Along the Sea (third).  Folklore has three wins and three seconds in six starts, and her effort in the Matron has catapulted her to the lead in the Juvenile Fillies Division.

The forgotten filly in the head-to-head battles between Adieu and Folklore is the steadily improving Along the Sea.  Along the Sea, trained by Ralph Ziadie, has four lifetime starts.  After breaking her maiden easily at Calder in July, Along the Sea finished third in the Grade 2 Spinaway in August, behind Adieu and Folklore, beaten only four lengths and finishing well in the seven furlong event.  Next up, Along the Sea was one of the victims of the huge Folklore performance in the Grade 1 Matron in September, also run at seven furlongs.  Of note in the Matron, Along the Sea broke through the starting gate prior to the race, and still managed to gather herself and deliver a strong performance.  Finally, in the Grade 1 Frizette October 8, her final prep, Along the Sea closed gamely on a sloppy track to finish second, only two lengths shy of the winner Adieu.  On a fast track the outcome could easily have been reversed.  Along the Sea is not even ranked in the top ten of the World Thoroughbred Championships Poll , a mistake by the expert panel to be sure.  Along the Sea is a prime candidate for a value play if she runs in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.

Shifting our attention to the West Coast, we examine the lightly raced filly Wild Fit, trained by Jeff Mullins.  Wild Fit, with only three lifetime starts, broke her maiden at Del Mar in mid August.  She promptly captured the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante August 27 by rallying from near last to overtake Mystery Girl for the win.  A general lack of early speed proved a problem for Wild Fit in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita October 1, where she finished second behind Diamond Omi.  With a chance to continue to improve off her light schedule, Wild Fit is a logical exotics play for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly. 

Diamond Omi, the benefactor of the slow paced fractions of the Oak Leaf, is not a serious threat in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.

Mystery Girl, the runner-up to Wild Fit in the Del Mar Debante, finished fourth in the My Dear Girl run at Calder October 15 over a sloppy main track.  She has not been pre-entered for the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.

D Wayne Lukas tends to work his magic with Juvenile runners, and Folklore is not his only major player in the Juvenile Filly Division.  A late bloomer for Lukas is the talented Ex Caelis, daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus.  Ex Caelis was the runner-up in the Grade 2 Alcibiad at Keeneland October 2.  She chased the gate-to-wire winer She Says It Best to gain the place.  Ex Caelis also finished second in the Grade 3 Arlington Breeders Cup Lassie September 17.  Although she is eligible to improve off her light schedule, Ex Caelis has not faced the top level of competition the Juvenile Filly Division has to offer. 

She Says It Best, winner of the Alcibiad at odds of 9.7 to 1 and handled by Vickie Foley, figures to be prominent in the early pace of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly, but does not pose a serious threat to win.  

Knights Templar is one of the more intriguing fillies pointed to the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.  Danny Vella, formerly a member of Frank Stronach's team, trains Knights Templar and has campaigned her exclusively at Woodbine in Canada.  Knights Templar has three wins and one second in six lifetime starts, including a dominating victory in the Grade 3 Mazarine Breeders Cup Stakes October 1, her final Breeders Cup prep.  Knights Templar, not unlike probable favorite Folklore, is blossoming at the right time, and is to be feared in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.  The only question is how she responds to the significantly higher level of competition the Breeders Cup will guarantee.  That's why they call it horse racing.    

The winner of Arlington Breeders Cup Lassie, Original Spin, has only two lifetime starts to her credit.  Anthony Mitchell, her trainer, is doing wonders with Original Spin, but the Arlington Breeders Cup Lassie is a far cry from the Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly.  Original Spin would be a major surprise.

The Stanley Hough trained Sensation seems a more logical dark horse, having already faced the powerful triumvirate of Adieu, Folklore and Along the Sea in the Spinaway at Saratoga August 27.  Adieu, Folklore and Along the Sea took the first three positions in the Spinaway, and Sensation finished fourth in the field of seven, going seven furlongs.  Sensation returned October 2 to win the Grade 2 Astarita at Belmont, a six furlong sprint.  There were only six in the field in the Astarita, but Sensation delivered a powerful performance nonetheless. 


What is the quality of the field for the 2005 Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly?

The Juvenile Filly Division is strong in 2005 due in no small part to the powerful one-two punch of Folklore and Adieu.  These fillies have laid the gauntlet down, and challengers such as Knights Templar, Wild Fit and Ex Caelis must make their case known.  To get an idea how the 2005 Juvenile Filly Division compares to previous years, we revisit champions of the past.  Notable previous winners include  Half Bridled, Silverbulletday, Storm Song, My Flag and Flanders.  Notable beaten favorites are You and Raging Fever.

Whenever two year-old fillies are involved, anything can happen, and usually does.  The 2005 Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly promises to be an exciting, and perhaps unpredictable event.