DEL MAR, Calif. – Two notable trends have emerged in the last decade in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, which will be run for the 17th time on Friday at Del Mar. European fillies arrive with dynamite race records, but lose to horses from stables based in New York or Kentucky. A California-based filly has never won the one-mile race. Thought Process, trained in California by Phil D’Amato, may reverse the pattern Friday on a turf course she adores. A two-time stakes winner since Sept. 7, Thought Process is part of a full field of 14 led by the unbeaten Lake Victoria, trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien. Once again, the race includes an outstanding group of fillies who last raced in the United States and Canada, notably Kilwin, May Day Ready, Scythian, Totally Justified, and Virgin Colada. :: Get the inside scoop from the morning workouts with Breeders' Cup Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the DRF Clocker Team Thought Process is the only entrant with starts at a mile on turf at Del Mar, wins in a maiden race on Aug. 17 and in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 7. In her last start, Thought Process won the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 6 at Santa Anita. Thought Process, who will be ridden by Hector Berrios, starts from post 7. Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stable, and the family of the late Brereton Jones, Thought Process has won from a stalking position and by leading, giving D’Amato confidence the filly can adapt to any circumstances that arise in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. “I think she’s very versatile,” he said “She can sit or make the lead or stalk. She’s good out of the gate and hopefully that will help her get the position she needs.” Thought Process will need a tactical advantage to beat Lake Victoria and her legendary trainer O’Brien. “We’ll have to go through him,” D’Amato said of O’Brien. Lake Victoria was flawless in September, winning two Group 1 races – the Moyglare Stud Stakes at seven furlongs at The Curragh in Ireland on Sept. 15 and the Cheveley Park Stakes at six furlongs at Newmarket in England on Sept. 28. :: BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more Owned by the Coolmore syndicate, Lake Victoria is one of four European-based runners in Friday’s field along with the stakes winners Anshoda and Heavens Gate and the stakes-placed Fiery Lucy. Heavens Gate, trained by O’Brien, and Fiery Lucy were first and second, separated by a neck, in the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes at seven furlongs at The Curragh on Sept. 29. Lake Victoria has won from the front and as a stalker. The difference between Lake Victoria and many of her rivals in the Juvenile Fillies Turf is that she has not raced at a mile. Considering the Newmarket course has an uphill finish, a one-mile distance should not be a concern. Lake Victoria, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, starts from the inside post on Friday. “I’d imagine Ryan would sneak around the inside with her,” O’Brien said. “She’s a very class filly. “She has a lot of speed. Ryan has no doubt about the trip. When you’re in there, she’ll need a lot of luck.” Moore, who rides first call for O’Brien, suggested that Lake Victoria start in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October after her win in the Cheveley Park Stakes. “That was a strong statement,” O’Brien said. O’Brien said the Coolmore partners decided instead that Lake Victoria should start in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at the same distance. :: ON SALE NOW: DRF Breeders' Cup Packages! Get everything you need to win and save 41% off the retail price. O’Brien is the only European trainer to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf in the last decade, with Meditate at Keeneland in 2022. Chad Brown won the race for a record sixth time last year at Santa Anita with Hard to Justify. This year, Brown starts Virgin Colada, who closed from 11th of 12 to finish second to Scythian in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf Oct. 6 at Aqueduct. Virgin Colada was second by a half-length to Totally Justified in the $150,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes on Aug. 28 at Saratoga in her stakes debut. Virgin Colada, the mount of Flavien Prat, will be closing. “I think the filly has a good chance if there is a good pace setup,” Brown said. “She’s had no pace in all three of her races. I think she’ll like the firm course at Del Mar. I’m interested to see what she can do in a race with pace. She can show off the turn of foot that she has.” Scythian, trained by Bill Mott, won the Miss Grillo in an 11-1 upset, stalking the pace before pulling clear in early stretch. “There were two or three in front of her and she was comfortably behind and waiting to get there,” Mott said. “She’s a big filly that’s improving with time and each race.” Totally Justified was beaten a nose by May Day Ready in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes on Oct. 4 at Keeneland. May Day Ready closed from eighth to win by a nose over Totally Justified, who led by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. For Friday’s race, trainer Rusty Arnold has altered Totally Justified’s bit at jockey Manny Franco’s request. “She got a little green in the stretch,” Arnold said of the Jessamine. “Manny asked if we could change the bit. He said she was weaving a bit. She never did it in the mornings. We’ll see how it works.” Totally Justified tends to run as a stalker, which should allow Franco to find a forward position. Kilwin, winner of the Untapable Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 8 at Kentucky Downs for Arnold, will start at a mile for the first time Friday in her third start. She closed from 10th of 12 in the Untapable, but Arnold expects her to be closer to the front in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. :: Get Breeders' Cup Betting Strategies from Brad Free and David Aragona for exclusive wager recommendations and play the races with confidence! “She’s lightly raced. She hasn’t stepped up to this competition,” Arnold said. “I think I have two very solid fillies.” Other than Brown and O’Brien, the only other trainer in the field with a win in the race is Mark Casse, who has three starters in Abientot, Nitrogren, and Vixen. Casse won the 2015 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf with Catch a Glimpse at Keeneland. Abientot won the Grade 3 Matron Stakes at six furlongs on turf Oct. 6 at Aqueduct in her fifth start. Vixen and Nitrogen were second and third in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes at a mile on turf Sept. 14 at Woodbine. Vixen closed from third in her stakes debut to finish a neck behind the Casse-trained And One More Time. Nitrogen led in the Natalma and was beaten three-quarters of a length by And One More Time, who was recently withdrawn from consideration for the Juvenile Fillies Turf. “I think Nitrogren will run well,” Casse said. “She was very game in the Natalma. I could see her improving as well.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.