by Don Clippinger

The Coolmore enterprise in recent years has turned to well-known figures from literature, the arts, and history for the names of its horses. Among those under the care of Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien this racing season are Beethoven (Ire), Alfred Nobel (Ire), and Rip Van Winkle (Ire).

A name that might be less familiar to American audiences is Lillie Langtry, a British-born socialite who became a well-known actress in the latter years of the 19th century and took American citizenship in part to shed a husband.

For Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Susan Magnier, O’Brien trains Lillie Langtry (Ire), a two-year-old Danehill Dancer filly who will be seeking a starring role in Friday’s $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a one-mile race. She was listed as the 3-to-1 favorite in a wide-open field of 12 plus two who are also eligible.

Although she has yet to run past seven furlongs, Lillie Langtry has won on good to firm ground, which she appears to favor, and the mile distance should prove no problem if she retains her composure. A blocky filly, she showed a bit of an actress’ temperament as she returned from her morning exercise Thursday with the rest of the Coolmore string.

She certainly has no liking for soft turf. Sent off as the 7-to-10 favorite in the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Ire-G1) in August, she made no headway on the Curragh’s heavy ground and finished third.

Lillie Langtry snapped back on October 3 to win the Tattersalls Timeform Fillies 800, a race restricted to horses sold at the 2008 Tattersalls October yearling sale. Sent off as the 7-to-10 choice, she won off by 2 1/4 lengths under regular jockey John Murtagh. She will break from the eighth starting position in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Just inside her will be the 4-to-1 second choice, House of Grace, an impressive debut winner in August on Saratoga Race Course’s turf who narrowly won Keeneland Race Course’s JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes when it was moved from the turf to Keeneland’s Polytrack surface on October 15. However, trainer Ken McPeek believes House of Grace is superior on turf.

Don Clippinger is editorial director of Thoroughbred Times