Many would assume that the Fillies branch of the Futurity was created so that the daintier gender didn’t have to compete against the boys. One needs only to look through our history book to prove this was not the case. In fact, Fillies dominated many years of the Kentucky Futurity before their own race was created including the 2nd Kentucky Futurity, which was won for Ed Ayres’ by the filly Beuzetta with Guss Macey at the reins.

A filly, Rose Croix won the 1896 edition as well for owner-driver Myron McHenry. Nelly Jay, a roan filly owned by George Woodlin of Boston won the 1902 edition of the Futurity in an astonishing FIVE heats and started a dominating streak of four straight Futurity victories for the supposedly weaker sex. Following her in order were the fillies Sadie Mac by Peter the Great in 1903, Grace Bond by The Bondsman in 1904 with a Futurity record of 2:00 ¼ and Miss Abdell by Abdell in 1905. Thus in the space of 13 years the famed Kentucky Futurity had been won eight times by fillies and this in a day when the race took anywhere from three to seven heats to decide.

Cedar Dove was a straight-heat winner in the $291,000 Kentucky Filly Futurity on a sunshine-filled Sunday afternoon at The Red Mile. After posting a wire-to-wire 1:53.2 career-best victory in the first heat, Cedar Dove came back to score a 1:53.4 win in the decisive second heat, both with Ron Pierce driving.  "We knew all along that she was a very good filly," co-owner John Fielding said in the winner's circle following the first-heat victory. Fielding shares ownership of Cedar Dove with Adam Victor & Son Stable.