Charles Town: Jax and Jill looks too tough in Sylvia Bishop Memorial

Jax and Jill wasn't quite good enough to beat the older multiple stakes winner Down Town Allen earlier this month. But she looks formidable returning to face fellow West Virginia-bred 3-year-old fillies in Saturday night's $50,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial Stakes at Charles Town.

Jax and Jill, trained by Scott Lake for Robert Cole Jr., led until the final furlong of the Sadie Hawkins on Aug. 10 and wound up beaten just a length by Down Town Allen, whose 18 career victories include seven stakes at Charles Town.

After four straight starts going 4 1/2 furlongs to start her 2013 campaign, Jax and Jill will remain at seven furlongs for the second time in a row.

Among the four opponents Jax and Jill will face, the only one who appears to have a reasonable shot at an upset is Queen'o'daball. She is 5 for 9 overall and most recently finished third to a heavy favorite shipping in from Churchill Downs. A two-time stakes winner going seven furlongs last season, Queen'o'daball will be making the second start of her form cycle. The last time she was in that situation, Queen'o'daball prevailed by a neck against open-company allowance rivals.