Hope Road, Alpha Bella to Square Off in Bayakoa

Cicero Farms' homebred 3-year-old filly Hope Road, winner of three straight races by five or more lengths, has been made the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3), which kicks off the stakes undercard Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The Bayakoa, carded as race 2 on Breeders' Cup Saturday, is directly followed by the $300,000 Goldikova Stakes (G3T). Then race 4, the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), leads off nine consecutive Breeders' Cup World Championship races. For fillies and mares 3 years old and up, the mile Bayakoa drew a field of seven. Following a transfer from the barn of trainer John Sadler to Bob Baffert, Hope Road broke her maiden by 5 1/2 lengths June 15 at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old Quality Road filly then stepped up and won an optional claiming-allowance race by 5 1/4 lengths Aug 4 at Del Mar. She made it three in a row in the Torrey Pines Stakes (G3) Aug. 31 at Del Mar, where she beat fellow 3-year-old fillies by 5 lengths, finishing the mile in 1:36.15. Sadler will look to defeat his former pupil with Alpha Bella, a homebred 4-year-old Justify filly for Don Alberto Stable. Alpha Bella, a grade 3 winner this year at Gulfstream Park, recently transferred out of Todd Pletcher's barn to Sadler's before her second-place finish in the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) Sept. 29 at Santa Anita. European Shippers To Test North Americans in Goldikova The Goldikova at one mile on the turf drew a competitive field of 11 fillies and mares. Sam Sangster and Edward Babington's 3-year-old filly Kathmandu (IRE) was made the lukewarm 7-2 morning-line favorite based on her runner-up finish in the French Two Thousand Guineas (G1) back in May at Longchamp. Trained by Brian Meehan, Kathmandu subsequently finished fifth of 12, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the Prix Jean Prat (G1) at Deauville and fifth of nine, but beaten just 1 1/4 lengths, in the Oak Tree Stakes (G3) at Goodwood. Britain's Hollie Doyle will ride from post 9. A fellow European 3-year-old filly, Shadwell Stable's Raqiya, also exits the Oak Tree, where she finished second by a head but was promoted to the win after being cut off in the stretch by the original winner, Jabaara. A previous stakes winner at Salisbury, Roqiya was tabbed at 6-1 on the morning line despite outfinishing Kathmandu last time. There are a number of domestic challengers. Turf stalwart Chad Brown entered Head of Plains Partners' multiple graded winner Fluffy Socks, most recently third in the First Lady Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Glen Hill Farm and Mrs. John Magnier's Aspen Grove won the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) last year and was recently second in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita. She gets Tyler Gaffalione and the rail. Kia-Ora Stud Australia's Lucky Girl (IRE) finished seventh in the Rodeo Drive after opening up on the lead early. She gets a rider switch to Mike Smith. The 1-2 finishers from the Oct. 5 Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) at Woodbine, Augustin Stable's Mouffy and Stepaside Farm's Nadette (FR), were separated by just a head at the wire last time after closing from far back. Sacred Wish, owned by a partnership that includes Black Type Thoroughbreds and Swinbank Stables, enters off a second in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes (G3) for trainer George Weaver.