Even beyond speed figures, the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint offers horseplayers and racing fans one of the best races on the 14-race Breeders’ Cup card. And it offers more balance and deeper speed than you think – even with the likes of Gamine and Serengeti Empress topping the field.
The Filly & Mare Sprint opens Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup slate at 9:02 a.m. PT. It’s the first of nine Breeders’ Cup races, and the fourth of five races on the $500,000 Pick 5. Because of the field’s depth, it will be a key race for anyone picking the first three correctly. Get this one right and you could be in for a piece of that Pick 5.
It won’t be easy, considering how close the speed figures are for the top eight contenders. Those top eight rolled up Beyer Speed Figures between 95 and 97 in their last starts. Four horses own triple-digit Beyers and – no — Gamine doesn’t own the best Beyer of this bunch.
That honor goes to Come Dancing, the 6-year-old mare and owner of a 114 Beyer at last year’s Distaff Handicap. The 125 Equibase and 114 Brisnet also lead this sparkling field, although that happened 18 months ago. Her most recent 95 Beyer puts her right in the back end of the eight-horse Beyer cluster.
Three Horses Not Named Gamine Fastest Last Time Out
Gamine doesn’t have the best last-out Beyer. That honor goes to the trio of Serengeti Empress, Bell’s the One, and Venetian Harbor – all of whom clocked a 97 in their last races. Serengeti Empress clocked her’s finishing second in the Derby City Distaff. Bell’s the One got her’s beating Serengeti Empress in a photo finish in the Derby City Distaff. Venetian Harbor got her’s breaking her three-race winless string while capturing the River Run Stakes. That also brought her the best last-out Equibase in this field (110).
Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint Speed Figures
Below is a list of the best, and most recent, speed figures posted by the top contenders running in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint
| Best/Last Beyer | Best/Last Brisnet | Best/Last Equibase | |
| Gamine | 110/96 | 109/102 | 117/106 |
| Serengeti Empress | 101/97 | 104/100 | 108/106 |
| Frank’s Rockette | 98/95 | 101/96 | 108/99 |
| Bell’s the One | 98/97 | 102/100 | 108/106 |
| Come Dancing | 114/95 | 114/102 | 125/100 |
| Sconsin | 96/96 | 100/100 | 106/106 |
| Venetian Harbor | 97/97 | 102/98 | 110/110 |
| Inthemidstofbiz | 95/95 | 97/97 | 104/104 |
| Speech | 101/88 | 104/96 | 106/98 |
| Sally’s Curlin | 93/91 | 103/95 | 105/100 |
Along with Come Dancing, Serengeti Empress (101), and Speech (101), Gamine is a member of the Triple-Digit Beyer Club, even if her last-out came 96 during her disappointing third-place finish at the Kentucky Oaks.
The Filly & Mare Sprint’s speed figures balance goes across all three speed-figure ratings. Six horses racked up last-out Brisnets between 98 and the 102, from Gamine to Come Dancing. Eight horses have last-out Equibases between 100 and Venetian Harbor’s 110.
Two More Candidates Running Into the Mix
We haven’t mentioned Inthemidstofbiz or Sally’s Curlin. Both have speed figures on the outskirts of contention here, but both have competitive last-outs. Inthemidstofbiz clocked a 95 Beyer and 104 Equibase in her Thoroughbred Club of American Stakes victory. Sally’s Curlin posted a 91 Beyer and a 100 Equibase finishing third to Bell’s the One and Serengeti Empress in the Derby City Distaff.
Even as close as this field is speed-wise, Gamine is your 13/8 favorite in Europe, according to Oddschecker. That’s not surprising, given her consistent speed in one-turn races and her ability to take over races.
Serengeti Empress is the second favorite at 7/2. Then, a cluster of Bell’s the One (8/1), Frank’s Rockette (10/1), Venetian Harbor (14/1), Sconsin and Come Dancing (16/1), and Speech (20/1). That’s a wide betting range sprinting smack into a tight speed figure cluster, making the Filly & Mare Sprint one of the most wide-open Breeders’ Cup races on the schedule.