Lovely Bernadette by a neck in Mint Julep Handicap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lovely Bernadette returned to the scene of her most important victory when posting a last-gasp win Saturday in the 42nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Mint Julep Handicap over the Churchill Downs turf.

Rallying from well off the pace under Corey Lanerie, Lovely Bernadette reeled in Celestial Insight in the final yards to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race as the 119-pound highweight in a field of 10 fillies and mares. The winner paid $7.60 as the second choice after finishing in 1:42.36 over a firm course.

“I was pretty far back early,” said Lanerie. “At the three-eighths pole, I didn’t know if we’d get there, but the filly really picked it up for me when it counted.”

ernadette was up by a neck over Celestial Insight, a 7-1 shot who was 1 1/2 lengths before Inchargeofme. Sully’s Dream, who set most of the pace, was another half-length back in fourth, while Res Ipsa, the 2-1 favorite, could do no better than fifth.

Lovely Bernadette now is unbeaten in three starts over the Churchill turf, having won not only her grass debut last June in an allowance but also the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere in November in her final start at 3. The 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Wilburn is owned by James M. Miller.

The Mint Julep was the 16th start for Lovely Bernadette but the first in the care of trainer Bernie Flint.

“We got her right after her last start,” said Flint, referring to an 11th-place finish in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland. “I liked her a lot in this spot; she’d been training so well.”

The $2 exacta (3-4) paid $52.80, the $1 trifecta (3-4-5) returned $209.20, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-4-5-6) was worth $115.65.

The Mint Julep was the last of 11 Saturday races and ended a Single 6 sequence worth $8,314 for a perfect 20-cent ticket (6-7-1-7-4-3). The Single 6 jackpot carryover into a 10-race Sunday card is nearly $440,000, with first post set for 12:45 p.m. Eastern.