Bee Jersey all the way in Steve Sexton Mile

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Bee Jersey was an authoritative winner of the Grade 3, $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile on Sunday at Lone Star Park, wiring the field for a 5 1/2-length win over the comebacking Girvin.

It was another neck back to Shotgun Kowboy in third.

The Steve Sexton Mile is the co-richest race of the meet. It pays tribute to the late racing executive who was part of the original management team of Lone Star.

Bee Jersey ($4.20) won his third straight race and his first stakes. He broke well from an outside gate and was up by 1 1/2 lengths through an opening quarter in 23.91 seconds. Bee Jersey continued to maintain that advantage through an opening half-mile in 47.62 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.97.

Bee Jersey then increased his advantage through the stretch, while covering the distance in 1:36.76.

“He took the lead easy,” winning rider Ricardo Santana Jr. said. “When he took the lead he was really nice and comfortable there, and he was waiting for the competition.

“Turning for home, when he felt horses on his side, he started running again.”

Steve Asmussen, who on Saturday became the second trainer in history to reach 8,000 Thoroughbred wins in North America, trains Bee Jersey for breeder and owner Charles Fipke.

“I think he’s going to be a fabulous miler,” Asmussen said. “Obviously we’ll speak with Mr. Fipke and his team and see what we need to do next, but I think there’s big races in his future.”

Bee Jersey began his win streak in a first-level allowance at a mile Jan. 20 at Oaklawn. He then won at the same distance in his next start, in an optional $62,500 claiming allowance at Keeneland on April 14. He is a 4-year-old son of Jersey Town.

Girvin, the winner of last year’s Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth, was making his 4-year-old debut Sunday. He trailed through a half-mile, put in a determined run on the final turn and through the stretch.

“We were really pleased,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “I expected there to be a little more pace to go with Bee Jersey. I think that these two horses are going to go on and have a great year. We were really pleased with Girvin’s comeback, closing into a slow pace, finishing. We were very, very pleased as a comeback race.”

Bee Jersey earned $119,000 for his win, his fourth from nine starts. He has now earned $326,312.