Lady Marlboro up next for filly-rich barn
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Christmas Kid, who won Saturday's Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, may be the most accomplished 3-year-old filly that trainer Jimmy Jerkens has, but she is far from the only talented gal in the barn.
Jerkens has three other 3-year-old fillies he is high on, including Lady Marlboro, who heads a six-horse field entered in Wednesday's $65,000 True Affair, a six-furlong overnight stakes at Aqueduct.
Lady Marlboro, a full-sister to the five-time stakes winner Two Down Automatic, finished fourth in a key-race debut on Jan. 21 at Gulfstream. Breaking from post 12, Lady Marlboro ducked out at the break, was well off the pace, but still showed enough late interest to rally for fourth. The top three finishers from that race have all come back to win.
In her next start, Lady Marlboro wore blinkers for the first time and broke much sharper, chasing a hot pace from the inside. In the stretch, two horses ran away from Lady Marlboro, but jockey Joe Bravo got her off the rail and she kicked home strongly to run down the next-out winner Princess Janie.
"She was ding-donging it and they came over on her and she checked out of it a little bit," Jerkens said. "She came back around them and ran them down. The filly that was second came back and won nice."
Jerkens, who also trains
3-year-old fillies Fee Fi Fo Fum and Senorita Swinger, said Lady Marlboro has "done well since she's been back here."
"I think she's good," he said. "Joey thinks enough to come and ride her."
Lady Marlboro breaks from post 2. There appears to be speed in the field with Lookin Back at You and Golden Dreamer. If a duel develops, Cash's Girl, runner-up in a first-level allowance race last month at Gulfstream, could pick up the pieces.
Golden Dreamer won the Ruthless Stakes over the inner track and comes off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Cicada.
Later on the card, Jerkens will send out the 3-year-old colt Vitruvius, a half-brother to Corinthian, in a first-level allowance race. Vitruvius, won a seven-furlong maiden race by a neck on Feb. 17, but then developed a skin disease and missed some time. He shows two bullet works leading up to his return.