Wednesday’s $150,000 J.P. Morgan Chase Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland drew a competitive field of 11 two-year-old fillies that will battle at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
The winner stamps a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), which will be run right here at Keeneland on Nov. 6.
The Jessamine is the last “Win and You’re In” race to be decided during the fall Keeneland meeting. After this race the final five Breeders’ Cup Challenge races will be decided at Belmont Park this weekend.
The Brad Cox trained Aunt Peral is the 3-1 morning line favorite for the Jessamine. The filly broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs going 6 ½ furlongs over good turf. She is one of eight that come into this race off maiden scores.
The lone runners in this field with stakes experience are Taylor’s Tourist (6-1), who was second in the Untapable at Kentucky Downs, Beautiful Star (20-1), fifth in the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and Spanish Loveaffair (7-2), who won the Sharp Susan at Gulfstream Park.
Saturday’s card at Belmont Park features four Breeders’ Cup Challenge races—the $250,000 Champagne, $250,000 Flower Bowl, $250,000 Frizette and the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup, all Grade 1 races.
Sunday’s $100,000 Futurity (G3) is the final Breeders’ Cup Challenge race on the calendar.
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Let’s head out to Keeneland for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
Keeneland Race 7 The JP Morgan Chase Jessamine G2 4:24 ET
1 Batyah 6-1
9 Gambling Cat 8-1
5 Ingrassia 6-1
10 Spanish Loveaffair 7-2
Batyah
This filly broke from the outsider post in her debut where she came from out of it to rally with a six wide move and drew clear late to a good looking maiden win at Belmont Park going a mile at 7-1. None of the group she faced in her win have come back to race yet. This filly was a $150,000 Keeneland purchase by Pioneerof the Nile out of a stakes placed Medaglia d’Oro mare that has dropped one other foal to race, Stellar Agent ($173,192) who ran third in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). The Motion trainee has been working with Alda, a talented juvenile filly who won the Catch a Glimpse and ran second in the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine. She draws the rail today but should be able to work out a trip and will get an honest pace in front of her with four of these stretching out from sprints.
Gambling Cat
The Maker trainee broke her maiden in her debut going a mile at Belmont Park. She broke poorly at nearly 11-1, saved some ground early, came with a three wide bid, lugged in nearing the 16th pole and then kicked clear when the jock straightened her out to win by a neck. She looks capable of moving forward off that effort. She is by Kitten’s Joy out of a Capote mare that has dropped four other foals to race with a pair of winners including turf multiple graded stakes winner Banned ($599,476). The extra ground should suit her and the 8-1 morning line looks generous.
Ingrassia
This gal tracked the early pace and got up late to win by a nose in her debut at Saratoga at this distance over good ground. She was part of a heavily backed duo of firsters sent out by Brown, her entrymate Reina Del Sol running third in that race. Castellano picks up the call on the filly. She is by Medaglia d’Oro out of the mare Infanta Branca who was campaigned by Aiden O’Brien. She was 10th in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1). The Brown trainee has worked sharply since her debut effort and is eligible to move forward off her promising debut. Brown saddled the winner of this race in 2013 and 2017.
Wagering:
WIN: Batyah to win at 4-1 or better.
EXACTA: 1 / 3,5,9,10 and 1,9 / 1,5,9