Break Even figures odds-on in Jersey Girl

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though she’s undefeated, Break Even is overshadowed by the freaky-fast Covfefe among the 3-year-old female sprinters in trainer Brad Cox’s barn.

The two are likely headed for a meeting in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga on Aug. 3. Each will have one more race before then. Covfefe, coming off a monster win in the Miss Preakness, is likely to run in the Roxelana Stakes at Churchill on June 22.

Break Even will get her Test prep in Sunday’s $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes going six furlongs at Belmont Park.

The Jersey Girl drew a field of only five, and trainer Wesley Ward said Friday he’s likely to run just Moonlight Romance and scratch Bingwa. The Jersey Girl is carded as the third on a 10-race card that begins at 1:30 p.m.

Break Even, a daughter of Country Day owned by Klein Racing, has won all four of her starts by a combined 19 1/4 lengths. She is coming out of a 5 1/2-length romp in the slop in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on May 3.

“She’s very fast out of the gate, I think that’s her biggest weapon. She’s able to break in all of her races,” Cox said. “She’s able to clear off early and establish control of the race.”

Cox had been concerned about the speed of Bingwa, but may not have to worry about that filly now. Shaun Bridgmohan rides Break Even from post 3.

Speaking of the Eight Belles performance, Cox said, “Last time I thought there might be a little speed to the outside of her and I think there was, but she just broke so sharp and she was just gone.”

Moonlight Romance won twice on turf last year. She is coming off a win in second-level allowance on dirt at Keeneland on April 26.

Ward acknowledges that Break Even is “a 2-5 shot in there, but if something happens or if she bounces off her last effort, I’m right there to pick it up” with Moonlight Romance.

Sue’s Fortune, trained by Jeremiah Englehart, is 3 for 4 with a victory in the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga last summer. She is wheeling back three weeks after winning a New York-bred allowance race following a seven-month layoff.

“Timing-wise it wasn’t the best spot I wanted to run in. I just thought the way she came out of that last race, and I wasn’t a fan of any of the races after this, that I would run her,” Englehart said. “I took a shot it would come up a smaller field. She likes to run. She’ll show up, I’m pretty sure.”

Miss Imperial, runner-up in three consecutive stakes for Jason Servis, completes the field. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Miss Imperial from the rail.