The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (Grade 1) has produced the most champions in year-end Eclipse Award balloting among the Breeders' Cup championship races. Widely regarded as one of the most all-American of the Breeders' Cup races, this $1 million series produced 17 out of 20 winners that were subsequently voted year-end champions.
| - Updated November 18, 2021 16:00:25 | ||
| Fractional | American | |
|---|---|---|
| Echo Zulu | EV | EV |
| Hidden Connection | 333/100 | +333 |
| Jujus Map | 333/100 | +333 |
| Tarabi | 14/1 | +1400 |
| Sequist | 33/1 | +3300 |
| Desert Dawn | 80/1 | +8000 |
The first Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was the second race on the Breeders' Cup championship inaugural card in 1984 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. The series produced that afternoon's first bit of controversy, when Fran's Valentine, in the midst of making a winning move at the top of the stretch, knocked Pirate's Glow off stride and pushed her into Canadian star Bessarabian. Fran's Valentine held off Outstandingly to reach the finish line first but was disqualified down to tenth for causing interference.
Outstandingly soon followed with a win in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes, and then bagged an Eclipse Award as champion 2 year old filly, a title that would be earned by all but three of the succeeding Juvenile Fillies winners in all Breeders' Cup races.
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in 1985 at Aqueduct launched a dominating run by D. Wayne Lukas, who took the first two spots that year with Twilight Ridge and Family Style. Lukas saddled the top three finishers in 1988, with Open Mind as the winner. He sent out Flanders and Serena's Song to finish one-two in 1994. Flanders pulled up lame after the race and was subsequently retired. Serena's Song, second by a head, became the champion 3 year old filly on the following year and retired as North America's then-leading female earner with $3,283,388. Lukas also won in 1999 with longshot Cash Run.
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winners who earned two championship titles have been Open Mind, who was voted champion at age two and three, as well as Go for Wand and Silverbulletday. Go for Wand snagged the 2 year old championship with a triumph in 1989 at Gulfstream Park, and then won posthumously an Eclipse Award as champion 3 year old filly, after suffering a fatal breakdown in the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Silverbulletday scored a half-length victory over stablemate Excellent Meeting in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and won four Grade 1 races in the following year to lock up the 3 year old championship.
Through 2003, only 11 overseas-based fillies have competed in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, with their best finishes a pair of fourths in 1993 and 1994. Godolphin Racing then won in 2001 with Tempera, who was trained in the United States by Eoin Harty.
A total of 11 favorites have been eventually declared as champions at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, including 2004's Sweet Catomine and 2003's Halfbridled. At the 2004 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Sweet Catomine triumphed as the champion at 2.30 odds with jockey Corey Nakatani. UAE's Balletto was runnerup at 4.10 odds with jockey Jerry Bailey, and Runway Model was on third place at 10.00 odds with jockey Rafael Bejarano.
5-2 favorite Halfbridled who was expected to have a coronation in 2003 and surely did not disappoint. She blew right by the pace, drawing away to win by 2 ½ lengths in a time of 1:42 3/5 for the 1 1/16 mile feature. 13-1 shot Ashado came in second, and it was a neck back from her to 8-1 shot Victory U.S.A in third. Halfbridled jockey Julie Krone became the first female jockey to ever win a race in the Breeders' Cup championships.