Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Scylla sped to the front at the start and kept going to win the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar in impressive fashion.
Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado, Scylla completed the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.07. The victory is Mott’s sixth in the Distaff and 16th overall.
“I didn’t know how it would go,” Mott said. “She broke, she put him there and Junior had the good sense not to drag her back. When you let them go to the lead, there is a risk that you are going to go fast. And she did. And she kept going. I was a little worried she might come back to them. I kept watching and she turned for home and opened up two. She ran a two-turn race out here last year (G1 Clement Hirsch) and she didn’t get the distance that year.”
Fourth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1), Scyllla assumed command at the break. Gin Gin and race favorite Seismic Beauty gave chase through fractions of :22.27 and :45.75. On the far turn, Scylla began to surge clear with Nitrogen moving into second. At the wire, Nitrogen held second by a half-length over a rallying Regaled.
The win was the first in a Grade 1 for Scylla. The $1,040,000 winner’s share of the purse increased her earnings to $2,287,795. Scylla is a 5-year-old daughter of Tapit out of the brilliant mare Close Hatches. The multiple Grade 1-winning champion mare has also produced full siblings Batten Down and Tacitus.