Break Even odds-on in short Prioress field

By Jeff Scott and a recent bestof-57 work at Churchill Downs. What’s not to like? Oddsmakers have made the 3-year-old Country Day filly the 1-2 choice in today’s $250,000 Prioress Stakes (G2).

Opponents may be encouraged by the fact that Break Even’s winning margins have tailed off in her last two races. Two starts back, she nearly got caught in the Jersey Girl Stakes at Belmont on June 9, holding on to prevail by threequarters of a length going six furlongs, Most recently, trying turf for the first time, the Klein Racing homebred once again nearly got nailed late, holding on to win the Coronation Cup by a length.

Only five fillies could be rounded up to take on Break Even, but they include two other promising sophomore sprinters. Risky Mandate is given the best chance to upset at 3-1. Unraced at two, the Strong Mandate filly has won both starts at three, most recently drawing off late to win an opening-level allowance here by 3½ lengths. The Strong Mandate filly has posted back-to-back bullet works on the Saratoga main track.

Royal Charlotte (4-1) won her first four starts, including the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont two starts back. The streak ended abruptly last out in the Grade 1 Test, where the daughter of Cairo Prince tired badly in a topclass field that included Covfefe, Serengeti Empress and Bellafina.

Kept True (15-1) comes in off a pair of allowance wins at Belmont and Saratoga, most recently a neck decision here at 5½ furlongs on July 18. The New Yorkbred daughter of Yes It’s True failed to win in two statebred stakes tries as a 2-year-old.

Break Curfew and South of France, a pair of 20-1 shots, fill out the Prioress field.