Harrington hoping for plenty of pace to bring Albigna's stamina to bear

10.12 Santa Anita
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade 1) | 2yo Fillies| 1m Turf | 2yo | Sky

All of 35 years after her Olympic dreams floundered at the 11th hour, Jessica Harrington is back at Santa Anita seeking what would constitute glorious redemption with Albigna.

Harrington's once-in-a-lifetime three-day eventing opportunity was lost when her horse, Paddywhack, went lame on arrival in LA in 1984.

She has since become one of the most successful dual-purpose racehorse trainers in the business, and a first Group 1 outside of Europe here would cap what has been an exceptional campaign for her that has been spearheaded by an assortment of classy fillies.

Albigna found loads for pressure to take the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp on Arc weekend, when the deep ground put an emphasis on stamina. Saturday's event is over the same one-mile trip, but the faster conditions will obviously pose a very different test.

The daughter of Zoffany won on good to firm when she made her debut at the Curragh in May before following up there in Group 2 company. She then disappointed in the Moyglare Stud Stakes but was subsequently found to be in season.

Jessica Harrington: outlines plans for her star juvenilesCredit: Caroline Norris

Shane Foley once again partners the Niarchos family's homebred.

"She travelled over well and settled in really well," Harrington said. "It will suit her if they go quick because she can work her way into it then. It is a different type of track but she has won on quick ground before."

Varian's Daahyeh tackles a mile for first time

Opposition to the market leader is headed by the Roger Varian-trained Albany Stakes heroine Daahyeh. A staying-on second in the Moyglare, this Bated Breath filly progressed to land the Rockfel Stakes under William Buick at Newmarket decisively last month.

"The way she got home at Newmarket and the Curragh over seven furlongs she should cope with a mile on a flat track and we have a reasonable draw," Varian said.

"She has six-furlong form, so she ought to be in her comfort zone with the pace. Like any horse coming over here at the end of a season she has to prove she is still ready to go but she looks good."

Roger Varian: 'She has six-furlong form, so she ought to be in her comfort zone with the pace'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Karl Burke's Living In The Past, who struggled in the Cheveley Park Stakes, won the Lowther at York previously. Like Daahyeh, this will be her first stab at a mile.

"She is going up in trip but she is bred to stay a mile," Joe Foley said on behalf of owners Clipper Logistics. "She's normally quick away from the stalls, so the style of American racing might suit. She has a nice draw as well, so hopefully she'll have a chance."

Andrew Balding's Shadn won for a third time in six starts when getting up late to land a Maisons-Laffitte Group 2 last month.

The mount of Jamie Spencer, she will sport the colours of Katsumi Yoshida, who last year bought The Mackem Bullet ahead of her run at the meeting, for the first time.

O'Briens send three into battle

Frankie Dettori has a rare mount for Aidan O'Brien as he has been drafted in for Etoile, the Naas maiden winner who finished eighth in the Cheveley Park.

However, the Ballydoyle first string appears to be Ryan Moore's mount Tango, fourth that day at Newmarket before dotting up in a Curragh Listed race over six furlongs in testing ground.

The No Nay Never filly is having her ninth start of the year, while Wayne Lordan's Joseph O'Brien-trained mount Unforgetable is having her fifth outing. Second to Love in a Leopardstown Group 2 in July, she ran well when fourth behind Fort Myers at Dundalk a month ago.

"Etoile is in good form," said Aidan O'Brien. "Obviously the trip we can't be sure about. She's a fast filly but she's out of a Sadler's Wells mare, so that's a help. She hasn't got a great draw, so he'll have to take his time on her.

"Tango we always thought would get a mile. She won very nicely the last day and she hasn't got a bad draw. There's every chance she will get a mile and is in good form."

Aidan O'Brien: strongly represented in the Juvenile Fillies TurfCredit: Patrick McCann

Of Unforgetable, his son said: "She looks up against it but she'll love the firm ground and has loads of speed."

Grade 1 winner Abscond leads home defence

Apart from Albigna, the only other top-level winner in the field is the Eddie Kenneally-trained Abscond. The Blame filly won the Natalma Stakes over this trip at Woodbine in September and her sole defeat in three starts came when put in her place by Wesley Ward's Juvenile Turf Sprint-bound Kimari at Saratoga in August.

"She keeps moving forward and I think the mile race here will suit,” Kenneally said. “She'll enjoy the firm turf and we’re ready."

Selflessly and Crystalle, first and second in a Belmont Park Grade 2 when last seen in September, are others with chances, while Sweet Melania is a smart American Pharoah filly who bolted up in a Keeneland Group 2 in October, having previously finished second to Crystalle at Saratoga.

"She’s always run well, but it seemed to be her breakthrough performance last time,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We’re excited about that, but concerned about a relatively quick turnaround in 22 days. So far, she’s been giving us all the indicators you’d like to see."

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