My Gal Betty eyes BC berth

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – My Gal Betty recorded her first stakes victory in the inaugural Catch a Glimpse Stakes on Aug. 25 and now will seek her first graded stakes win in Sunday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Natalma Stakes over one mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

The Natalma is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series and offers the winner a feespaid berth to the Grade 1 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

My Gal Betty has crossed the line first in all three of her starts, but she was disqualified from the win in the My Dear Stakes two starts back on July 7.

Purchased for $120,000 at the Fasig-Tipton October yearling sale last year, trainer Roger Attfield said My Gal Betty has shown ability since she began training.

“When I first got her down in Florida, I thought she was going to be pretty special,” he said.

My Gal Betty passed her first turf test with flying colors in the six-furlong Catch a Glimpse, settling off the pace before driving clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths under jockey Rafael Hernandez. Attfield said My Gal Betty should have no problem stretching out to a mile.

“I had thought she’d be turf, going long,” he said. “I’m surprised the Point of Entry [offspring] have shown as much speed as they have.”

KEY CONTENDERS

My Gal Betty, by Point of Entry Last 3 Beyers: 74-70-62

◗ Attfield said My Gal Betty has been training well since her start in the Catch a Glimpse. She breezed six furlongs in 1:14.60 on the turf training track Sept. 8.

◗ She’ll add Lasix for the first time in the Natalma.

La Pelosa, by Dandy Man

◗ She ships from England off a runner-up finish in a Group 2 event Aug. 11 at Newmarket.

◗ Her wide draw (post 13) could be a negative, but she should have time to get into position in this one-turn mile event.

Stillwater Cove, by Quality Road Last 3 Beyers: 80-NA-NA

◗ She traveled to the Royal Ascot meeting in June, finishing 13th in the Group 3 Albany Stakes, a race where Natalma rival La Pelosa finished second.

◗ In her first start since returning to North America, she won the Bolton Landing Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on Aug. 15 at Saratoga, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Artilena, by Artie Schiller Last 2 Beyers: 75-61

◗ She’ll make her stakes debut in the Natalma off a dominant 11-length victory Aug. 22 over seven furlongs on Tapeta.

◗ She should have no issues with the surface switch, and breezed five furlongs in 59.60 seconds on the turf training track here Sept. 8.

Pivottina, by Vision d’Etat

◗ One of three Europeanbased runners in the field, Pivottina ships to Woodbine off a fourth-place finish in a Group 2 event at Deauville over seven furlongs on the grass Aug. 18.

◗ Prior to that Group 2 event, she had won her career debut and also finished second in another stakes event.