Trainer Brad Cox looked over the fields for important 2-year-old filly races in Kentucky and New York, and hopefully made the right decision to reroute Emery to the $400,000 Frizette (G1) at the Big A on Saturday rather than the Darley Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland on Friday.
Cox will have a presence in the Alcibiades with 8-1 Alpine Princess, and now he’ll have the 2-1 second betting choice in a short field of six in the 1-mile Frizette.
The winner earns an all-fees paid, automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. The race is also a Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifier with a point spread of 10-5-3-2-1 for the first five finishers.
Emery will be ridden by Manny Franco out of post 6.
Life Talk, trained by Todd Pletcher, is the 9-5 favorite, and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Out of post 2. The Gun Runner filly was beaten a head by Alys Beach (running in the Darley Alcibiades) in her debut at Saratoga on July 31, then won next out 5 ¾ lengths at the Spa a month later.
Just F Y I, the 3-1 third choice, could give Hall of Famer Bill Mott his second win the race – his first was in 1998 with Confessional. The Justify filly won in her debut, rallying in the stretch for a head victory over Shop Lifting at Saratoga on Aug. 26.
Godolphin-owned Central Avenue is another top contender, at 10-1, after winning his debut in a strong closing run at Colonial Downs on Aug. 31 for trainer Michael Stidham. He will be ridden by Javier Castellano from post 4.
The Frizette is one of six-graded stakes races on Saturday’s card, including the $400,000 Champagne (G1) for 2-year-olds, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” race for the BC Juvenile.
The picks: 1 Emery 2 Central Avenue 3 Life Talk
The field for the $400,000 Frizette (G1), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Irish Maxima (Jairo Rendon, John Servis), 9-2
2 Like Talk (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Todd Pletcher), 9-5
3 Princess Indy (J Torres, C A Gonzalez), 15-1
4 Central Avenue (Javier Castellano, Michael Stidham), 10-1
5 Just F Y I (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott), 3-1
6 Emery (Manny Franco, Brad Cox), 2-1