OZONE PARK, N.Y. – If Bill Mott was confident Quiet Street was assured a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, he might not be running her back in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes at Aqueduct.
Despite the fact that Quiet Street is 2 for 2, including a victory in the $1 million Untapable Stakes on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs, the Juvenile Fillies Turf typically oversubscribes and includes a bushel of foreign runners. A victory in the Miss Grillo would ensure a spot in the Breeders’ Cup because the race is designated a Win and You’re In event.
“I think we’re on the bubble as far as getting into the Breeders’ Cup,” said Mott, who won this race last year with Scythian. “I don’t know if we have to earn our way in.”
Quiet Street, a daughter of Street Boss, has come with a strong late run in both her maiden win going 5 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 13 at Saratoga and in the 6 1/2-furlong Untapable, which she won by a length.
“Visually, it was pretty impressive,” Mott said of the Untapable. “Thought that looked good.”
The Miss Grillo is run at 1 1/16 miles, so this will be Quiet Street’s first start around two turns. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is run at a mile.
“We’re climbing up the ladder,” Mott said. “I hope she gets a mile. It just opens so much more opportunities in the future.”
Quiet Street drew post 12 in a race that is limited to 12 starters but drew 13 entrants for the turf plus one for the main track only. Rose Room, Godolphin’s other entrant in the field trained by Michael Stidham, was expected to scratch to run in Friday’s Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland.
Chad Brown has won the Miss Grillo nine times. Four of those winners came back to win the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf, most recently Hard to Justify in 2023.
Saturday, Brown sends out Deep Learning, who won her debut impressively at Saratoga before finishing fifth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the Grade 1 Natalma on Sept. 13 at Woodbine.
“She found herself out of position there, lost a shoe in the race. In hindsight, I regret going. It just wasn’t the right setup for her.” Brown said. “I wasn’t originally thinking about wheeling her back, but then she bounced out of the race pretty good and breezed good this past week, so I figured let’s give it a shot.”
Boomington, trained by George Weaver, overcame some traffic to win her debut against New York-breds on Aug. 31 at Saratoga. She beat Cosmic Candy Girl by a nose, that filly coming back to win her next start.
“She was bottled up behind horses, never got to run until the last eighth of a mile, if that,” Weaver said. “In midstretch, I thought maybe we can get a check. Hell, she got out and won. I felt like when she got loose and got some track to look at, she made an impressive late move.”
Believe in Magic, third in the Untapable, was scratched out of Thursday’s Matron by trainer Bill Morey to run in this spot. Dyna, third behind Corsia Veloce in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes in August, draws in from the also-eligible list with the scratch of Rose Room. Corsia Veloce came back to win the Grade 1 Natalma.
Miss Picky, trained by Todd Pletcher, was a front-running winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Saratoga in her second start. Fille d’Oro, trained by Brad Cox, came from off the pace to win her debut on turf Aug. 22 at Saratoga.
El Barrio, Cara’s Dreamweaver, Day to Day, Ground Support, and Miss Call complete the field.
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