My Jen scores by a head in Gallant Bloom

My Jen, an unheralded 3-year-old filly coming off a runner-up finish in the Victory Ride Stakes at Saratoga, was up in the final yards to nail fellow longshot Moontune Missy by a head in Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap, a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

My Jen, making her second start since finishing seventh in the Old Hat Stakes on Jan. 9 in her graded stakes debut, finished determinedly under Julien Leparoux to get up after 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.13 on a fast main track, making this the slowest renewal of the Gallant Bloom at the distance since Nasty Storm’s 1:17.80 clocking in 2002.

“Last time at Saratoga, that track was very speed-biased,” said winning trainer Eddie Kenneally, “plus our filly was coming off a seven-month layoff. So to finish second to Rapport was a big effort . . . and we knew she’d benefit from that and move forward for [this] race, which she did. We’ll see [about the Breeders’ Cup]. It’s a 3-year-old filly running against older horses . . . it’s a possibility. We have Warbling in that division as well. Who knows? Maybe they’ll both run.”

Moontune Missy, coming off a third-level allowance score in her first start of the year, collared duelers Rapport and Qualia turning for home and appeared home free a furlong from the wire. She came up just short.

Sara Louise, who missed a scheduled start in the Honorable Miss at Saratoga due to a bruised foot and was beaten a head as the Gallant Bloom favorite last year, was along to be a nonthreatening third as the 2-1 second choice in her first start at age 4 for Godolphin Stable, which has yet to garner a graded stakes win in the United States this season.

Qualia, eased in the Ballerina after her saddle slipped, dueled 9-5 favorite Rapport into defeat and faded in the stretch to wind up fourth.

My Jen paid $26.60 to win and keyed a $378.50 exacta over Moontune Missy in the eight horse field.