Bye Bye J scores in Downthedustyroad Stakes off layoff

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Bye Bye J won the $125,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes in her first out since May on Saturday, contesting the pace and going on to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths over Matapan. It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Georgia’s Reward in third.

The Downthedustyroad was a six-furlong race restricted to fillies and mares bred in Arkansas.

Bye Bye J ($3.20) was coming off a sixth-place finish to eventual champion Covfefe in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico, with the winner that day covering six furlongs in a blazing 1:07.70. In the Downthedustyroad, Bye Bye J moved to the front soon after the start, and raced alongside Matapan through fractions of 22.78 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.60 for the half-mile. Bye Bye J had more in the stretch, and went on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:10.50.

Ricardo Santana Jr. was aboard for trainer Steve Asmussen.

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Bye Bye J is a daughter of Uncaptured who races for Arkansas residents Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. She was winning the third stakes race of her career, behind the $75,000 House Party at Gulfstream Park and the $100,000 Rainbow Miss at Oaklawn. She has now won 5 of 9 starts and has earned $298,105.

Earlier on the card, Knicks Go ($8) won for the first time since his 2018 victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, when he rolled by 7 1/2 lengths in an allowance. He set the pace en route to covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.57. Knicks Go was making his first start for trainer Brad Cox, who gave the mount to Joe Talamo. The horse is owned by the Korea Racing Authority.

Also on the card, K J’s Nobility ($5.60) handed Hoonani Road his first Oaklawn defeat when he won an allowance for Arkansas-breds by two lengths over that rival. Hoonani Road, who was making his first start since November, came into the race with a 7-for-7 record at Oaklawn.