The $400,000 Jessamine Stakes (G2) is Friday’s turf feature on opening day of Keeneland’s Fall Meet and has been carded as the day’s eighth race with a post time of 4:44 p.m. ET.
The 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) set over this same course on Oct. 30.
First run in 1991 as the Green River Stakes and renamed the Jessamine after a nearby county in central Kentucky in 2003, the race has become one of the key autumn tests for turf fillies heading to the Breeders’ Cup.
Aunt Pearl (IRE) set the course record of 1:40.86 in 2020 and then won the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf. Other notable winners include Sweet Melania, Kathmanblu, Harmonize, Concrete Rose, Buchu, May Day Ready, and Imaginationthelady.
Jockey Pat Day won five times, while trainers Kenny McPeek and Todd Pletcher each have four victories. The race sits on Fall Stars Weekend as Keeneland marks its 90thanniversary ahead of hosting the Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 30–31.
Holy Cow Stable’s $70,000 OBS March 2-year-old Seneca Park (9-2) is 2-for-2 so far in her career. She wired a 5 ½-furlong Ellis Park turf maiden by four lengths, then rallied from third to win the $750,000 Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs by a neck at 6 ½ furlongs. The Dallas Stewart-trained daughter of Golden Pal has shown she can rate as well as show speed depending on the pace, but the jump from 6 ½ furlongs to 8 ½ is the question. Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. stays aboard, and she could be one of the top choices here.
Glycogen (8-1) took the P.G. Johnson Stakes in her last out (and stakes debut) by 1 ¼ lengths at Saratoga after earning a fourth sprinting on debut at Ellis Park, followed by a win in a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden on July 31. In the P.G. Johnson she saved every inch of ground, got clear late, and ran down Mel Went Home to win and become the first stakes winner for her freshman sire Jack Christopher. She is a patient closer who thrives when the pace collapses.
John Velazquez stays for trainer John Servis and is clearly a top candidate for the win here, and the generous odds make her a tempting choice.
Elegante Miz (8-1), who will be ridden by trainer Patrick Biancone’s new son in law, Keith Asmussen, is the most experienced runner with four career starts. She won on debut over Gulfstream Park’s all-weather course in June and is twice stakes-placed since, including a third in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies last out. One of three Golden Pal daughters in the race, Biancone’s turf fillies can be live at a price. She is an early type with the disadvantage of an outside draw, so she may have to sit off the pace this time around.
The Flightline filly Monique En Vol (the 4-1 morning-line favorite), is a St. Elias homebred who won on debut by 1 ¾ lengths on Sept. 5 at Kentucky Downs going a mile on turf in a ground-saving effort from mid-pack before drawing away by 1 ¾ lengths. The Brad Cox trainee is a closer/midpack runner with a powerful late kick and has the benefit of the returning Irad Ortiz, Jr. taking over. She will attract plenty of support off the Flightline debut.
Lucky Bernadine (9-2) is trained by Brad Cox and will be ridden by Flavien Prat. The daughter of Tapit was fourth on debut at Ellis at a mile on turf, then a 3 ½-length Kentucky Downs maiden winner on Sept. 7 after a mid-pack trip and a late surge in the lane. She looks like a live overlay if Glycogen and Monique En Vol take too much money. Watch the tote board!
Pros and Cons (12-1), a Justify filly trained by Mark Casse, will carry jockey Jose Ortiz and the Florida-bred was second on debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream Park, then broke her maiden by three lengths going a mile on Saratoga’s inner turf July 10. In the P.G. Johnson, she was the favorite, made an early move on the turn, and faded to third behind Glycogen and Mel Went Home. She is a stalker/presser who can get involved later from midpack. The rail draw is a mixed blessing on Keeneland turf but if she avoids traffic, she might be able to save ground and finish strongly.
Serenas Ghost (10-1) is another debut winner coming off a mile score on the Horseshoe Indianapolis turf three weeks ago. The daughter of Girvin was a 12-1 outsider that day and won by a length after a stalking trip, which she’ll probably seek in here as well under Luis Saez. The Joe Sharp trainee will likely be double-digit odds, so if you like the way she debuted she's your pick at good odds.
Mel Went Home (15-1) is a maiden coming off a nice second in the P.G. Johnson a month ago. The Life Is Good filly, who was a $200,000 Fasig-Tipton yearling, was also a nose second in her turf debut at this distance at Saratoga. The Robbie Medina trainee, who will be ridden by Cristian Torres, is a forward, stalking type who should be prominent again from the break and with a top effort could offer value for the exotics at longer odds.
Cherie DeVaux sends out Beautiful Harper (15-1), a Constitution filly who broke her maiden Aug. 21 at Colonial Downs going a mile on turf. She rated off the pace in the second flight that day and won determinedly to win by a half-length. She is a midpack-to-closing type stretching into graded company off one start/one win and will need to improve off that effort under jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Golden Maiden (12-1), for four-time winner McPeek, is coming off a nice 2 ¾-length winning debut at Saratoga at this grassy distance earning some decent numbers. The daughter of Golden Pal is likely going to find her spot early midpack and reserve her energy for a strong stretch run. Emmanuel Esquivel rides.
Fresh off a 3 ½-length maiden win at a mile at Kentucky Downs, the Riley Mott-trained Quibbler (15-1) jumps up in class and is a legit contender off her debut. The $20,000 Epicenter filly has been training regularly at Ellis Park all summer and ships in to Keeneland for her stakes debut. It appears her preferred trip is to settle mid-pack early and close and will likely need a hot pace and a clean trip under Jaime Torres.
The outside post in a 12-horse field isn’t ideal for the Jeremiah O’Dwyer-trained Mightily (15-1), but she has shown some tactical ability in her two career starts. The War of Will filly will need to break well and find a stalking spot under Luan Machado, or she risks a wide trip.
Despite her decent second in the Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Colonial Downs last out, she will be a longshot.
1 Pros and Cons (Jose Ortiz, Mark Casse), 12-1
2 Mel Went Home (Cristian Torres, Robbie Medina), 15-1
3 Monique En Vol (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox), 4-1
4 Beautiful Harper (Tyler Gaffalione, Cherie DeVaux), 15-1
5 Seneca Park (Brian Hernandez, Jr., Dallas Stewart), 9-2
6 Glycogen (John Velazquez, John Servis), 8-1
7 Golden Maiden (Emmanuel Esquivel, Kenny McPeek), 12-1
8 Lucky Bernardine (Flavien Prat, Brad Cox), 9-2
9 Quibbler (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott), 15-1
10 Serenas Ghost (Luis Saez, Joe Sharp), 10-1
11 Elegante Miz (Keith Asmussen, Patrick Biancone), 8-1
12 Mightily (Luan Machado, Jeremiah O’Dwyer), 15-1
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
