Harmonize vies for final automatic Breeders' Cup berth in Jessamine
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The eighth and last Win and You’re In race to be run at the front-loaded Keeneland fall meet will take place Wednesday, when Harmonize goes postward as the favorite in a terrific field of 2-year-old turf fillies in the Grade 3, $150,000 Jessamine Stakes.
Harmonize, trained by Bill Mott, won the P.G. Johnson Stakes last month at Saratoga and is therefore the only stakes winner in the main body of an oversubscribed field. In all, 16 fillies are on the program, although only 14 can start in the 1 1/16-mile race.
Harmonize won the Sept. 3 Johnson as a maiden, drawing off by four lengths to earn an 82 Beyer Speed Figure that tops all in the Jessamine field. However, many of her opponents also have been lightly campaigned, and this is the type of race in which a breakout from one or more of these well-bred fillies would not rank as a surprise.
Junior Alvarado has a return call on Harmonize, a bay Scat Daddy filly assigned post 4 in the full gate.
This is the 25th running of the Jessamine, which is sponsored again by JPMorgan Chase and Co. The winner gets an expenses-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 30 at Keeneland.
The Jessamine anchors an eight-race card that kicks off the first full week of the meet. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern, with the Jessamine going at 4:24. TVG has extensive coverage.
The forecast through Thursday in this region calls for pleasant and seasonable conditions.
KEY CONTENDERS
Harmonize (Beyers: 82-72)
◗ Beaten a nose in her career debut Aug. 9 at Saratoga, she wheeled right back less than a month later to dominate five others in the Johnson for Mott, the Hall of Famer whose 40 career stakes wins at Keeneland rank third in track history.
Clare View (Beyers: 70-62)
◗ This Lothenbach Stables homebred already has developed a useful running style when going through the maiden ranks and has the hot-riding Florent Geroux named by trainer Chris Block.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 5 Clare View. Trainer Chris Block is 25-10-2-1 with a $5.12 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Keeneland (4 for 5 with 2-year-olds). Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Moms Choice (Beyers: 68-68)
◗ A dominating score over the Arlington Polytrack for Chicago kingpin Larry Rivelli was followed by a heady runner-up effort in a competitive renewal of the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies.
Outsider Art (Beyers: 67-67)
◗ This Jonathan Sheppard trainee will be loaded into the demanding No. 14 hole with a 2 for 2 record when ridden by the young Drayden Van Dyke, who got his first Keeneland victory Sunday.
Delicate Lady (Beyers: 61-70)
◗ This is an interesting first turf try for an Eclipse Thoroughbreds purchase who lost virtually all chance at the start of the Adirondack Stakes in an overall respectable performance.
Theory of Change (Beyer: 64)
◗ Yet another promising filly from the seemingly endless supply of Chad Brown turf prospects, this daughter of Archarcharch closed stoutly to win at first asking on closing day of the Saratoga meet.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 8 Theory of Change. Trainer Chad Brown is 24-1-4-1 with a $0.13 ROI over the past five years when changing jockeys in the second career start following a winning debut (8-0-0-1 in graded stakes). Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 11 Family Tree. Trainer Wayne Catalano is 13-4-1-1 with a $4.30 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route in the second career start following a winning debut. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan