Justinqueso tries to regain best form in turf sprint

Ian Wilkes trains the best 1 1/2-mile grass horse in North America, Burnham Square, but on Friday at Churchill will try to win the co-featured seventh race on the other end of the turf spectrum.

In the turf sprint, Wilkes sends out Justinqueso over 5 1/2 furlongs in a female-restricted second-level allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option. If Justinqueso runs like she did in a race at this class level and distance April 29, she can’t win. If she runs back to her better 2025 form, she can.

Justinqueso made her first four starts on dirt, and her grass debut came in a route race – not her cup of tea. The filly’s breakout came when Wilkes sent her to Presque Isle Downs for the $100,000 Fort Erie Stakes. Justinqueso tracked the pace making her synthetic debut and won comfortably. She has failed to hit top form in two starts this year, though a jockey change to Irad Ortiz Jr. could help awaken Justinqueso.

Race 4 has the same conditions but is carded at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and open to all horses at least 3 years old. Gewurztraminer will show speed breaking from the far outside post in an eight-runner field as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, but Vamos Carlito, 10-1 on the morning line, holds greater appeal.

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