2026 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Narrative Past Performances, Picks & History

ITM Staff Pick

Sometimes the best horse is just the best horse. Sun Goddess is a triple Group 1 winner who has won five straight, the last of them the Cheveley Park in course-record time, and Aidan O’Brien thinks she’ll “breeze around” an American mile.

She’ll be a short price and the mile is new, so we won’t be shocked if she gets beat. If she does, Curracloe, Johnny Murtagh’s unbeaten filly, is the overlay on our numbers. Ryan Moore rides Sun Goddess from post 9.

ITM Plus · Breeders’ Cup Package

Get Even More With ITM Plus

As always, we will have a ton of great, free Breeders’ Cup content, including our Final Answers show, coming up later this week. But if you want to support our channels and get EVEN MORE great info, please sign up to In the Money Plus. There you’ll find proprietary trip notes and speed figures for the foreign horses, in-depth coverage of every race, and grid picks from the entire team, plus all of ITM’s Keeneland Fall Meet coverage.

Post 1 · T: Joseph O'Brien · J: Dylan Browne McMonagle · ML 10/1

The one who keeps coming back. Green Empress cost €55,000 as a yearling and has spent the whole season chasing Sun Goddess. She has finished second to her three times, the last of them by 6½ lengths in the Moyglare. In between, she beat Ballydoyle's odds-on Alpha by a neck in the Debutante. Then Joseph O'Brien took her to ParisLongchamp, stepped her up to a mile, and she won the Prix Marcel Boussac by a head as the 13/8 favorite under Christophe Soumillon. "She's very tough," O'Brien said afterward, and back in September he made it clear he isn't afraid of the rematch. The Boussac was her first try at a mile, and the question is whether the extra ground closes the gap on Sun Goddess. Dylan Browne McMonagle, who rode her in the Debutante, has the rail.

Post 2 · T: Kevin Attard · J: Pietro Moran · ML 30/1

The sprinter with the famous mother. Go For Launch is a Blue Heaven Farm homebred by Flightline out of Starship Jubilee, Canada's 2019 Horse of the Year. She won her debut on the front end at Woodbine in July, then came to Saratoga and rocked home by 2¼ lengths at 10/1 in the Bolton Landing, giving Flightline his first stakes winner. Her last start was a second to Mrs D in the Algonquin back at Woodbine. Here's the catch: all of that came at sprint distances, and her connections listed the Juvenile Turf Sprint as their first preference. Instead she gets a mile. Kevin Attard calls her "a little headstrong," so settling will be job one, though the Bolton Landing showed she can sit off the speed and tip out. Pietro Moran, aboard for that Saratoga win, rides from post 2.

Post 3 · T: Johnny Murtagh · J: Ben Coen · ML 12/1

Johnny Murtagh's unbeaten Baaeed filly. Curracloe won her debut at Gowran Park in September at 22/1, then stepped straight into Group company and won the Darley Fillies Stakes at the Curragh by 2¾ lengths as the 13/8 joint-favorite. She tracked the pace in third that day and went clear late, carrying the Qatar Racing silks. Murtagh hasn't been shy about her. He has said she's out of the ordinary and sees her as Guineas material. He also said he was a bit worried about the ground at the Curragh and expects a much better filly on a faster surface, so she'd welcome a fast surface at Keeneland. She has only two starts, though, and this is a big ask in a deep field. Ben Coen, who rode her at the Curragh, breaks from post 3.

Post 4 · T: Joe Sharp · J: Luis Saez · ML 20/1

A family affair, and she's already won over this course. Joe Sharp trained both her parents, Grade 1 winner Girvin and the multiple stakes-winning Tiznow mare Sirenusa, and she races for her breeders, Barry and Joni Butzow. She broke her maiden at Horseshoe Indianapolis, then showed up at Keeneland for the Jessamine at 22/1 in just her second start. It wasn't pretty. Luis Saez looked for room outside, nearly clipped heels, checked and dove to the rail. Once she found daylight she pulled away from Seneca Park to win by 1¼ lengths. Sharp says she has the toughness of both parents, and Saez called her "an amazing filly." She has only two starts, and she cuts back a sixteenth to a mile here with Saez back aboard from post 4.

Post 5 · T: Kevin Attard · J: Kazushi Kimura · ML 30/1

The other Attard filly. De La Renta is by Woodbine Mile winner Oscar Performance and won her first two starts at Woodbine. She took her debut by 3¼ lengths in July, then won the Soaring Free on the turf in a photo over Speaker's Speech. The barn had the Natalma as the long-term goal all along, and she ran a big race in it, finishing second, 1¼ lengths behind Voyager. Voyager isn't in this field. Fraser Aebly liked how she switched off early in the Soaring Free, and that's a useful habit to bring to a big-field mile. She did get a little green late that day, so the experience of the Natalma should help. Kazushi Kimura picks up the ride from post 5.

Post 6 · T: Joseph O'Brien · J: Oisin Murphy · ML 15/1

The other half of the Joseph O'Brien team. Alwaysanangel is a Harry Angel filly who won at Fairyhouse by three lengths and then took the listed Firville Stakes at Cork by 1¾ lengths over Ballydoyle's Madam Secretary. She's also run third twice in Group company in England. In the Duchess of Cambridge she finished behind Senorita Bonita and Libertango, and in the Cheveley Park she was third again at 15/2, behind Sun Goddess and Libertango. William Buick rode her that day and came away impressed, noting she was "going on well at the finish" over six furlongs. That's the angle. She has already won at seven furlongs and was finishing strongly over the sprint trip, so the mile is a fair question rather than a long shot. Oisin Murphy takes over from post 6.

Post 7 · T: Jeff Mullins · J: Umberto Rispoli · ML 20/1

The unbeaten West Coast closer. Vanta cost $370,000 at the Ocala 2-year-old sale in March, and she's 3-for-3. She won her Del Mar debut sprinting on the turf, then stretched out to a mile for the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. She broke slowly, sat near the back of nine, rallied three wide and won by 2½ lengths, giving her sire Greatest Honour his first stakes winner. In the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita, her graded debut, she came with another big late run to win by three-quarters of a length. Jeff Mullins describes the style perfectly: she takes herself to the back, settles and runs past them. In a 14-horse field she'll need a clean run through traffic, but she won't be short of pace to chase. Umberto Rispoli, aboard for all three wins, rides from post 7.

Post 8 · T: Miguel Clement · J: Manuel Franco · ML 15/1

The well-traveled one. Dean Reeves paid $300,000 for this Olympiad filly at the Ocala 2-year-old sale in March, then raced her in Ireland. In her third start she won a seven-furlong maiden at Gowran Park by five lengths, beating 15 rivals. Then, trained by Joseph O'Brien, she made her U.S. debut in the $750,000 Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs in September and won it at a mile at 7/2. She stayed behind, moving to Miguel Clement in New York. O'Brien had told Reeves all along she'd handle firm turf better, and Reeves thinks she'll like Keeneland if the ground is firm. Our pace projection makes her the most likely early leader in a race where several want to be forward, so how fast she goes early will matter. Manuel Franco rides from post 8.

Post 9 · T: Aidan O'Brien · J: Ryan Moore · ML 6/5

The freak. That's Aidan O'Brien's word, not ours. Sun Goddess cost £120,000 as a yearling and has turned into a triple Group 1 winner. She's won five straight. She took the Phoenix, giving Aidan his 18th win in the race but his first with a filly. She won the Harry's Half Million at York by six lengths, the Moyglare by 6½, and then the Cheveley Park by a length from Libertango in course-record time. The one defeat that matters came in the Albany at Royal Ascot, where Libertango beat her by a length. The new question is the step up to a mile. Aidan's view: she'd "breeze around" an American mile. She's 6-for-8 overall, and Ryan Moore, aboard in every win, rides from post 9.

Post 10 · T: Francis-Henri Graffard · J: Colin Keane · ML 7/2

The filly who beat the boys. Amusingly is a Juddmonte homebred by No Nay Never and a niece of Frankel. After she pulled too hard in the Prix d'Aumale, her team dropped her back in trip for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère at ParisLongchamp. She was the only filly in the field and last turning for home, but Colin Keane switched her out and she beat Joseph O'Brien's Folsom Blues by 1¼ lengths, with Aidan O'Brien's Man's Best Friend third. She was the first filly to win the race at ParisLongchamp since 1986, and it was Francis-Henri Graffard's first win in it. The win put her in this race, and Graffard is eager for the clash: "I'd love to take her on against Sun Goddess." She's run only three times this year. The question is whether she settles over the longer trip. Keane rides from post 10.

Post 11 · T: Andrew Balding · J: Billy Loughnane · ML 30/1

The bridesmaid with a famous owner. Scommessa Sicura is a 100,000-guinea Cracksman filly who races for England footballer Reece James and Opulence Thoroughbreds. She's been as consistent as they come, with five seconds and one win from seven starts. The trouble is who keeps beating her. Charlie Appleby's Musical Times has done it three times, including by 7½ lengths in the May Hill, and last time she ran fifth at 28/1 behind the same filly in the Fillies' Mile. Her one win was a seven-furlong maiden at Newmarket, where she made virtually all. She has plenty of experience at a mile, too. She only got in when two others came out. Andrew Balding says she's "never run a bad race," and Billy Loughnane rides from post 11.

Post 12 · T: Chad Brown · J: Flavien Prat · ML 8/1

Chad Brown's latest Miss Grillo winner. The Miss Grillo at Belmont is a familiar launch pad for Brown, and this filly gave him his 10th win in it on October 3. Domestic Agenda is a $290,000 American Pharoah filly for Klaravich Stables. She won her debut by a half-length at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf, then won the Miss Grillo by 4½ lengths at 4/5. That earned her a Win and You're In spot. She's 2-for-2, both at 1 1/16 miles, and she gets her first crack at the European invaders. Brown has kept her at Belmont, with recent works on the dirt there, and his team reports all is well heading into the week. Flavien Prat, aboard for both wins, has drawn post 12, so he'll have to work out a trip from outside.

Post 13 · T: Dallas Stewart · J: Brian Hernandez Jr. · ML 30/1

The $70,000 bargain. Dallas Stewart spotted this Golden Pal filly at the Ocala 2-year-old sale in March, and Himanshu Shukla's Holy Cow Stable bought her. She has more than paid her way. She won a sprint at Ellis Park on debut in August, then took the $750,000 Untapable at Kentucky Downs, where Stewart liked how she relaxed. In the Jessamine at Keeneland she went for 3-for-3 and ran well, finishing second, 1¼ lengths behind Serenas Ghost. They meet again here. Brian Hernandez Jr. assured Stewart she'd stretch out, and she has already handled 1 1/16 miles over this course. Now it's a mile against a far deeper field. Hernandez, who has ridden her in all three starts, is out in post 13.

Post 14 · T: Robson de Aguiar · J: Tyler Gaffalione · ML 30/1

The €26,000 battler. Ballinea Star races for Giselle De Aguiar, the trainer's wife. She won a maiden at Cork, then took the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh against colts by a half-length at 16/1. That was Robson De Aguiar's first black-type win in his own name. Back in June, he named this race as the target along with the Moyglare and the Goffs Million. She ran in both. In the Moyglare she was well beaten, fourth of six behind Sun Goddess and Green Empress, but she bounced back with a third in the Goffs Million, beaten 1¼ lengths. Back in June, De Aguiar said she'd have a lot to give when she went further, and the mile will test that. She draws the far outside, post 14, with Tyler Gaffalione.