Ultra live and ultra impressive.

Although it was a fairly weak bunch of maidens at Keeneland this one look extremely good today. Went right to the front and ran away from them in a hand ride. Could be a competitor in some big races down the line.

Agreed, she looked great. Looked like she was under a snug hold all the way down the backside, and it's worth noting that her final time of 1:22.74 was over two full seconds faster than that of the other 7-furlong maiden race on the card. And the horse who won that other maiden race (Katy Now) had previously run second to Devil May Care, who came back to win the Grade 1 Frizette @ Belmont last weekend.

Guess I was right...

http://www.drf.com/newsletter/bccontenders_1023.pdf

LOL, I wouldn't put much credence in any of those Watchmaker lists. They've been a joke for years. The odds are bad enough, but he often lists horses as favorites in races where they won't even run. As for Connie and Michael, I haven't heard anything about McPeek's plans for her, but then again I haven't been looking. I do know that he's bringing Beautician, who I think will be a nice overlay in the race. There's also a Q&A with McPeek on the Bloodhorse site that I've been meaning to read, but haven't got around to yet. There might be some Connie and Michael info there. I'll check it out later and post if there's anything interesting.

from Daily Racing Form:

Already expected to have a chance to win the $2 million Juvenile Fillies with Beautician, trainer Ken McPeek hopes to increase his chances if he can get Connie and Michael into the race as well. Connie and Michael was an impressive 7 3/4-length maiden winner last Saturday at Keeneland, running seven furlongs in 1:22.74 while hardly being asked by Kent Desormeaux. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95. She was the 5-2 favorite in a field of 12.

"She's trained like a good horse from the beginning," McPeek said. "She acts like she could be a good thing. I'm reluctant to run against myself, but it's probably the right thing to do. I think we got a good shot to win this with one or the other."

McPeek did say that Robby Albarado would ride Beautician in the Juvenile Fillies. Albarado guided Beautician to a maiden win at Churchill, while Desormeaux has ridden her in her last three starts. Desormeaux would ride Connie and Michael if she gets into the race.

In other Juvenile Fillies news:

With Garrett Gomez opting to ride Oak Leaf runner-up Always a Princess for Bob Baffert, Julien Leparoux has picked up the mount on Arlington-Washington Lassie winner She Be Wild. Gomez had ridden She Be Wild to a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades.
On Wednesday, Leparoux worked She Be Wild five furlongs in 1:02.80 at Keeneland, trainer Wayne Catalano said.

Also, Joel Rosario has picked up the mount on the Oak Leaf's third-place finisher, Bickersons, according to trainer Kelly Breen. Rosario worked Bickersons five furlongs in 1:00 last Friday at Santa Anita "and he was very impressed with her," Breen said. Breen noted that Joe Bravo would be riding several horses for him out of town that day. That may include Truth and Justice in the $125,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes at Delta Downs. Breen hasn't totally discounted Truth and Justice from running in the Juvenile Fillies.

Connie and Michael made the pre-entry list. Looks like she's in.

Originally Posted by DiscreetCat

Connie and Michael made the pre-entry list. Looks like she's in.

DC, when was the last time you recall a juvenile race being won by a horse off one career race?

Great question. Off the tip of my head, i don't believe it's ever been done.

I do think Connie and Michael would be plenty live though. Not too severe of a stretchout from 7 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, although the two-turn layout would obviously be new. Decent chance she's the most talented filly in the field. I imagine McPeek will be working her in company with the more accomplished Beautician (a strong contender in her own right), so keep an eye out for that and see how she does.

PS - McPeek ran second in this race last year with Dream Empress, who before that had run @ Keeneland in the Alcibiades after coming from New York (same pattern as Beautician).

Just saw that the Wynn is offering Connie and Michael @ 6/1. I would think she'd be at least that high on raceday. Hopefully higher.

Originally Posted by DiscreetCat

Just saw that the Wynn is offering Connie and Michael @ 6/1. I would think she'd be at least that high on raceday. Hopefully higher.

Oddly enough thats what Watchmaker listed her at during his entry list a week or so ago.
I'll take my chances hoping she'll go off higher than that on race day.
Thanks for the update DC.

A little piece of relevant material.

#9 Cactus Cadillac in R11 at CD just won a MSW event by a nice margin.
She finished 3rd by 14 lengths in her last start. Those 14 lengths she was beaten by were done so by Connie and Michael.

This race has sealed my selection of Connie and Michael in the Juvy Fillies.

Thanks for the update, i hadn't seen that that. I did glance over the Juv Fillies field very briefly last night, and i saw that Connie and Michael is sporting the largest Beyer figure in the field. That isn't going to help the price any...

Originally Posted by DiscreetCat

Thanks for the update, i hadn't seen that that. I did glance over the Juv Fillies field very briefly last night, and i saw that Connie and Michael is sporting the largest Beyer figure in the field. That isn't going to help the price any...

Between the beyer and those nice little italics that'll show up in the PPs price is diminishing.
Only racebook I have with futures is BetUS and Im hoping they release fixed price odds for this race but they currently only have classic, turf, ladies classic, and sprint.

Im thinking 4-1 or 5-1 is going to be a little more accurate now.

McPeek’s ambitious play is with Connie and Michael in the Juvenile
Fillies, which will be 20 days after her debut win by 7¾ lengths
on October 17 at Keeneland.
“It’s pretty ambitious, but she’s pretty fast,” McPeek said. “Before
she ever ran, [exercise rider and former jockey Scott Miller] said she
was the best filly he ever sat on in his life. She really could be [a superstar].
Beautician is a really good filly in her own right, so I feel like
we have two live chances there.”

Originally Posted by fbwinners

McPeek’s ambitious play is with Connie and Michael in the Juvenile
Fillies, which will be 20 days after her debut win by 7¾ lengths
on October 17 at Keeneland.
“It’s pretty ambitious, but she’s pretty fast,” McPeek said. “Before
she ever ran, [exercise rider and former jockey Scott Miller] said she
was the best filly he ever sat on in his life. She really could be [a superstar].
Beautician is a really good filly in her own right, so I feel like
we have two live chances there.”

So much for my live longshot lol.
Everything Im reading is shortening my price
Anyone know an online racebook with futures for juvy filly?

Originally Posted by FlyinLate

So much for my live longshot lol.
Everything Im reading is shortening my price
Anyone know an online racebook with futures for juvy filly?

I can tell you one thing I'm hearing from a well know clocker in Cali, there aren't going to be many if any shippers come to this track and win off one race. Speed is death on this track and you have to be fit to win over this track. Need many races or a good series of 5f/6f works. It is asking alot for CM to come into town and win this race off one race. I still think you will get a decent price on her. Here is a live longshot for your exotics (Exacta,Tri,Super) BIOFUEL. I really feel I have this race pegged and I'm looking to cash the Super in this race many times. This is my favorite race on the Friday card as of now. Looking to score big on this race. I will be very disappinted if I don't cash big on this race.

FB

I was originally worried about speed. Correct me if Im wrong but speed has been a night and day difference in Cali over the last week and a half. Speed has done much better imo.

FB, i'm wondering when you got that opinion from your clocker? Speed was death over the first few weeks of the meet, for sure, but it's doing much better lately. I'm hoping that continues thru Breeders Cup weekend.

Quick Note, the third place finisher in the Connie And Michael came back and won Sun @churchill

Wow....WTF?

4-1? Second choice?

How can they name a horse with only a maiden win to her name at 4-1?
They have graded stakes winners like Negligee and She Be Wild at higher odds.

Top Beyer figure. Sad, but true.

from Churchill Downs, via Bloodhorse:

Trainer Ken McPeek has left his six Breeders' Cup World Championships weekend starters behind for the time being to race during the upcoming Hollywood Park fall meet, he said Nov. 12.

McPeek started five runners in Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita and four of them brought home checks for a combined haul of $837,000.

Those five, along with the Argentina-bred Teamgeist, who ran sixth in the Las Palmas Handicap (gr. IIT) on Nov. 6, are remaining in California.

“The stakes program at Hollywood Park is the main reason, and some of them may stay out there through the winter,” McPeek said.

McPeek said Beautician, the runner-up in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I), would be pointed toward the Hollywood Starlet (gr. I) on Dec. 20 rather than to Churchill's Golden Rod (gr. II) Nov. 28.

“Beautician needs more time than three weeks,” McPeek explained.

He said Noble's Promise, third in the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), is headed for the CashCall Futurity (gr. I) a day before the Starlet at Hollywood.

“Noble’s Promise will probably be 2-1 or less in the CashCall Futurity and that is $750,000,” McPeek noted.

Bridgetown, who ran second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. II), and House of Grace, third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, most likely will resurface Thanksgiving Weekend at Hollywood Park.

“Bridgetown is a one-mile max 2-year-old now and the Generous (gr. IIIT on Nov. 28) is a mile and the race here (the Grand Canyon) is a mile and a sixteenth,” McPeek said. “With House of Grace (pointing for the gr. IIIT Miesque n Nov. 29), it’s the same thing and those races out there are for $100,000 and the ones here are $60,000.”

Connie and Michael, who finished eighth in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, is to test allowance company at Hollywood. Teamgeist is being pointed to the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa Handicap (gr. II) on Dec. 5.

“Connie and Michael needs the Polytrack the way she goes,” McPeek said. “With Teamgeist, why bring her back here and then turn around and ship her back out?”

Interested to see whether Connie and Michael will be turned back to a sprint here. I'm guessing yes.

Connie and Michael on the turf today at HW in the 5th, take a flyer on In The Slips in this one.


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Churchill Downs May 20th just a heads up

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8th (4:29)

1 Mile | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Allowance | Purse: $50,000

Prg. # PP Horse Jockey Trainer Wt. Claim $ Equip. Med. ML

1 1 My Lady A. P. Lenclud F Peery Chuck 1095 L 15-1

2 2 Cruisin'nthebridle Nakatani C S Maker Michael J 121 LA 6-1

3 3 Lady Etienne Albarado R J Stewart Dallas 121 LA 6-1

4 4 Lady Durlyn Borel C H Wiggins Lon 121 LA 5-1

5 5 Connie and Michael Leparoux J R McPeek Kenneth G 111 LA 4-5

6 6 Flying Spur Solis A Mott William I 121 LA 5-1

7 7 On the Level Lanerie C J Margolis Steve 114 LA 12-1