Aunt Pearl blazes to victory in Jessamine Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Aunt Pearl never gave the competition a chance when opening up early and proceeding to set a stakes record Wednesday in the 30th running of the Grade 2, $150,000 Jessamine on the Keeneland turf.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, Aunt Pearl returned $5 as a slight favorite after finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of the runner-up, Spanish Loveaffair, the 8-5 second choice in a field of 11 2-year-old fillies. Ingrassia was another 2 3/4 lengths back in third.

The Jessamine was the 10th and final Win and You’re In event of the front-loaded fall meet, with Aunt Pearl earning the automatic bid into the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf here at Keeneland.

The winning time over a firm course playing very fast was 1:40.86, smashing the former stakes mark of 1:42.21.

“I was very impressed with her,” Geroux said. “I wanted to make her work a little down the stretch today. She didn’t get much out of her first start. If she is going to be a factor in the Breeders’ Cup, she had to do a little something today.”

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On a mild, sunny afternoon, and with the grandstand practically empty because of the no-spectator policy in place owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Aunt Pearl opened daylight on her closest pursuer, Navratilova, entering the first turn. Carefully rated by Geroux, Aunt Pearl continued without pressure on an uncontested lead in keeping her record perfect in two starts, following an easy debut score Sept. 1 over the Churchill Downs turf.

Aunt Pearl, an Irish-bred by Lope de Vega, is trained by Brad Cox and owned by a five-way partnership – Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Michael Kisber, Peter Deutsch, and The Elkstone Group. She raced Wednesday under the yellow-and-cerise Dubb silks.

“This was the first time she’s really ever been cut loose,” Cox said. “She’s very gifted with a lot of natural speed and a lot of energy. I’m very proud of her.”

The graded stakes victory was the sixth in a little more than a month for Geroux and Cox as a team. Since Sept. 4, they also accounted together for the Kentucky Oaks, La Troienne, Kentucky Cup Turf, Gallorette, and Dinner Party.

The $2 exacta (7-10) paid $12.60, the $1 trifecta (7-10-5) returned $22.70, and the 10-cent superfecta (7-10-5-6) was worth $19.95.