Tapitsfly gets on top in the closing stages.
LILLIE FLOPS AS TAPITSFLY TAKES SPOILS
Lillie Langtry (IRE) Profile
A P O'Brien Profile
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Lillie Langtry was a major disappointment as 12-1 shot Tapitsfly won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Friday night.
She was sent off a hot favourite with trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh looking for a quickfire double after Man Of Iron's opening victory in the Marathon.
But she never really fired here and was well beaten as Tapitsfly took the spoils for trainer Dale Romans and jockey Robby Alborado.
The Ballydoyle filly was settled in seventh in the early stages and Murtagh tried to move her into contention down the back stretch.
But as the field reached the top of the stretch it was clear she was struggling badly, and she found nothing in the closing stages to finish out of the places.
Up front meanwhile the grey Tapitsfly was fighting out a great battle with Rose Catherine (10-1), who had cut out the early pace.
Deep inside the final furlong they were still locked in combat, but in the end Alborado's mount just had too much. House Of Grace (6-1) took third spot.
Romans said: "She just skipped across the ground and I guess everybody saw it - everybody's been writing about how well she moves.
"She was moving so well and she's a great filly - she liked the ground.
"Nobody deserves a big winner more than (owner) Frank Jones. He's been in the game for 30 to 40 years and was my Dad's primary client.
"When my Dad passed away I took over his horses - it's an emotional winner."
Alborado said: "It was a great trip, she broke well, she put herself in position. I just wanted to clear most of them into the first turn so I wouldn't get packed out too wide. She's awful quick leaving the gate. She got herself into position and the first time I pressed, she went on.
"She came home nice. She's a little fighter, I'll tell you that. She's a true grass horse for sure. The only time I rode her on the grass she was at her most impressive. The last time she didn't handle the Belmont course that well, it was a little muddy and a little sticky, but she worked very nice this week so we had a good indication that she'd run good."
O'Brien said of Lillie Langtry: "Ideally she might prefer a little more ease in the surface but Johnny (Murtagh) said it was a rough race and she got knocked around a few times.
"It may be the end of a long season but that was definitely not her. We'll bring her home and train her for the classics at home."
Murtagh meanwhile said: "I had a bit of a bump turning into the straight. About halfway down the straight I got pushed out a bit, but I think I was done at the time. I'm not sure if she handled the course. She didn't turn well. She's a big rangy filly."
Jockey Todd Pletcher said of runner-up Rose Catherine: "She ran a great race, she wanted to be on the lead and managed to get there and settled nicely into a rhythm.
"The winner stalked her all of the way and was that bit better.
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