Juliet Foxtrot finds first Grade 1 victory in Jenny Wiley Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. - In a filly and mare turf division with opportunity at the top following the retirements of Eclipse Award winners Rushing Fall, Uni, Sistercharlie, and others, Juliet Foxtrot danced her way to the head of the class with a decisive season opener, a two-length win in the Grade 1, $300,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

This was the first victory at the top level for Juliet Foxtrot, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox, who has been something of a bridesmaid the last two seasons. The breakthrough performance validated the decision by Juddmonte principals - including its founder Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, who died in January - to keep her in training for another season.

"It was brave on behalf of everybody at Juddmonte to make the move to keep her for one more year to try to win that elusive Grade 1," said Garrett O'Rourke, manager for Juddmonte's U.S. operations. "This is huge for the mare. She looked absolutely magnificent today, and for as consistent of a performer as she’s been, I just think she thoroughly deserves it, which makes it all the more sweet for us.”

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Juliet Foxtrot ($5.40), a 6-year-old daughter of Juddmonte's Dansili, began her career overseas before launching her U.S. career in 2019, when she quickly gained notice for winning a pair of allowance races in Kentucky, followed by the Grade 3 Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park. After finishing second by a nose to the hard-knocking Vasilika in the Grade 2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar, she stepped up to the Grade 1 level that fall. She was second to Uni in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland, defeating Vasilika in third, and then was third in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar to Got Stormy and Daddy Is a Legend.

Last year, Juliet Foxtrot bounced back from a sixth-place finish in her seasonal debut, the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill, in which she was away slowly and was buried at the start, to run third in the Jenny Wiley behind Rushing Fall. That race was contested in July last year, owing to Keeneland's schedule changes due to the pandemic.

Juliet Foxtrot then finished fourth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs, but got back in the win column by taking the Grade 3 Gallorette in October at Pimlico. She concluded the year by coming tantalizingly close to a Grade 1 victory, beaten a half-length when third in the Matriarch to Viadera and Blowout.

Juliet Foxtrot controlled this year's Jenny Wiley from the outset and benefitted from a straightforward trip under Tyler Gaffalione. She led the field of six by a measured length through an opening quarter-mile in 24.35 seconds on the yielding turf, and the half in 49.45.

"She really relished the ground," Gaffalione said. "As soon as she broke, I could feel that I had a ton of horse, and she was loving every bit of it."

Gaffalione let her out a notch approaching the quarter pole, and she began to extend her advantage slightly through six furlongs in 1:13.72. Once straightened away into the stretch, she had more than enough remaining for the drive, and continued to extend her lead under steady urging.

Juliet Foxtrot stopped the clock in 1:44.51 for the 1 1/16 miles.

Tamahere, who had run in second throughout, held that position by a neck over La Signare. Etoile, Maxim Rate, and Micheline rounded out the order of finish.