Breeders' Cup Distaff Analysis
by GLEN GALLIVANWire To Wire Racing Editor
There's little use in waiting for the official past performances or even the post position draw for the Breeders' Cup Distaff field, we should all be extremely familiar with the major players in this event. This year's affair is shaping up as a two-horse showdown, and no that doesn't include Silverbulletday.
Beautiful Pleasure and Banshee Breeze paths are on a collision course set for impact on the Gulfstream oval. These two classy 4-year-olds have split their two previous meetings and there's no better place for the rubber match than the Breeders' Cup Distaff. However, they appear to be heading into this $2 million test in different directions.
Beautiful Pleasure has taken her game up a level. Her improvement started to show when she finished a close second to fellow Florida-bred, Sister Act, in the Hempstead Handicap (G1). She followed that solid showing up with another game effort in the Go For Wand (G1). Once again, the John Ward-trainee finished second, a half-length behind the winner. But, than she finally broke all the way through!
The daughter of Maudlin rolled off a pair of grade-one victories in her last two starts, in doing so she defeated the top two female runners in North America. First, she handed Banshee Breeze her first defeat of the season by taking the Personal Ensign (G1), defeating her heavily favored rival by over two-lengths. Then the 4-year-old proved to the younger Silverbulletday that she wasn't quite ready for the "big girls," crossing the wire over four-lengths in front of the sophomore phenom in the Beldame (G1). It's obvious that Beautiful Pleasure is heading into the Distaff in excellent form, however the same thing can't be said for Banshee Breeze.
Last year's 3-year-old filly champion hasn't shown the same punch in her last two starts that she displayed when knocking out her competition earlier this season. After losing to Beautiful Pleasure in the Personal Ensign she wasn't able to recapture her winning ways, finishing second again in the Spinster (G1). Not only was the outcome disappointing, but the way she looked throughout the race was also disheartening. The daughter of Unbridled wasn't even close to resembling the same monster that was devouring graded stakes fields just a few short months ago. So, what happened?
There's two ways of viewing her recent form: either she's taking a step backward and will continue to regress or Carl Nafzger didn't have her fully cranked for her run in the Spinster, rather choosing to save something for the Distaff. There is some merit to the second explanation as many observers believed that Nafzger had his charge peaking too soon last season, noting her 12-length score in that year's Spinster as proof that she gave her top-effort before the Cup.
 Banshee Breeze |
Glenners Picks: Banshee Breeze, Beautiful Pleasure and Silverbulletday
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Photo by author. Breeders' Cup logo courtesy of the Breeders' Cup and used with permission
