Jakaby Jade takes Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf

DEL MAR, Calif. – As if he needed an encore performance for what he’d accomplished already on Monday, trainer Doug O’Neill won his second stakes race of the day at Del Mar and his third overall when British invader Jakaby Jade made a successful U.S. debut, capturing the $101,500 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Jakaby Jade ($16.80), ninth in the 11-horse field during the early going of the one-mile grass race, benefited from a clever, ground-saving ride from Flavien Prat and produced a sustained rally to beat One Last Shot by 1 1/2 lengths, with Gomo – also trained by O’Neill – a nose farther back in third. Imflatoutsweet, the 5-2 favorite, finished fifth.

Jakaby Jade was timed in 1:37.63 on the firm course.

O’Neill on Monday also won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity with Nyquist and, at Saratoga, the Grade 1 Hopeful with Ralis. Both of those horses are owned by Paul Reddam, who was represented by Gomo in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf. Jakaby Jade is owned by Steve Keh and the Slam Dunk Racing partnership headed by Nick Cosato.

O’Neill finished the meet with six stakes wins, tops among trainers.

“It’s been crazy, but everything has worked out perfectly,” O’Neill said.

Jakaby Jade was 1 for 2 in England before being purchased privately and sent to O’Neill. Her lone win was going five furlongs on a straight course at Lingfield on July 25.