Evvie Jets eyeing Grade 1 company

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Evvie Jets, upset winner of Thursday’s Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga, may step into Grade 1 company next in the Grade 1, $750,000 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland Oct 7, trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci said Friday.

“I think she deserves to be there,” Kantarmaci said. “We can go early so she can get used to the place.”

Evvie Jets showed a new dimension in the Ballston Spa, rallying from 9 1/2-lengths off the pace and outfinishing Fluffy Socks to win by a head. Evvie Jets earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Evvie Jets, whom Kantarmaci claimed for $80,000 in Sept. 2021, had most of her previous success on the front end. In April, she defeated Whitebeam in the Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct by going to the lead, and holding off that filly late. Whitebeam came back to win the Grade 2 Gallorette at Pimlico and the Grade 1 Diana here. Whitebeam is also pointing to the First Lady.

Kantarmaci said he was always confident Evvie Jets could be successful from off the pace. She ran second in an allowance race here last summer, rallying from eight lengths back.

“We knew she has that ability,” Kantarmaci said. “With a hot pace it was much better for her.”

Since the claim, Evvie Jets has won six of 15 starts and earned $617,520 for the Estate of Robert Amendola, whose racing operation is being overseen by Michael Amendola. Michael is the son of Robert, who died in November 2022.

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