Lady Eli to return in Jenny Wiley

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The multiple-Grade 1-winning and ultra-popular mare Lady Eli will make her 5-year-old debut in the Grade 1, $350,000 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on April 15, trainer Chad Brown confirmed Friday.

Brown had been considering waiting until the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay at Belmont Park on May 14 for Lady Eli’s return but said the mare is training too well to keep her in the barn.

“I can’t, in her 5-year-old season – which could very well be her final one – skip Grade 1’s when she’s training well,” Brown said. “She’s doing great. I’m going to take her up there and run her in a Grade 1 right off the bat.”

Lady Eli was scheduled to work Saturday at Palm Meadows and the next week at Keeneland.

Lady Eli, who won the Appalachian at Keeneland to kick off her 3-year-old season in 2015, has not run since finishing second, beaten a nose by Queen’s Trust, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last November at Santa Anita. Lady Eli, away from the races for 13 months, overcame a well-documented case of laminitis to win the Grade 1 Flower Bowl last year. Overall, she has won 7 of 9 starts.

Lady Eli will ship to Keeneland on Sunday along with other Brown-trained runners, including Practical Joke (Blue Grass), New Money Honey (Appalachian), Ticonderoga (Transylvania), and Paid Up Subscriber (Madison). Brown is also sending Paulassilverlining from New York for the Madison.