Evening Jewel will stay on turf

Blame him for being slightly biased, but Tom Braly has been left amazed by Evening Jewel's springtime campaign.

Evening Jewel won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes on a Polytrack synthetic surface at Keeneland in early April, finished a nose behind division leader Blind Luck in the Kentucky Oaks on a dirt surface at Churchill Downs on April 30, and won her turf debut in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Handicap at Hollywood Park on Monday.

"She gives so much effort, it's amazing," Braly said. "It really puts her up there with the best. She did everything right in the Oaks."

With Blind Luck set to start on the synthetic main track at Hollywood Park in the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks on Sunday, Evening Jewel will stay on turf for the foreseeable future. Her head win over Cozi Rosie in the Honeymoon puts her on course for the $250,000 American Oaks over 1 1/4 miles on turf on July 3.

Evening Jewel has won 4 of 10 starts and $606,943. She has been the top horse this year for Braly and his wife, Marilyn, and has provided their family with a sporting boost at a time when Tom Braly is fighting cancer.

Later this summer, trainer Jim Cassidy would like to start Evening Jewel in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks over 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 21, keeping her away from Blind Luck.

"I see no reason for the two to bump heads with each other," Cassidy said. "If I can avoid her, I'll avoid her. I'm hoping to take her on another time."