Nerazurri struts class with easy score in Lady Jacqueline
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Class tells, and Nerazurri had been running with class competition. In her early 2026 campaign, the filly was a multiple stakes winner and raced creditably against Eclipse Award champion stablemate Nitrogen. She dropped directly out of a pair of Grade 1 attempts into Saturday’s $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes at Thistledown, and responded to the class relief with a dominant 4 3/4-length victory.
This open race for fillies and mares was the highlight among four stakes on the Ohio Derby undercard on Saturday's marquee card at Thistledown.
Favored Nerazurri ($3.40) and Flavien Prat sat a perfect stalking trip from post 2 as Standoutsensation, who needed to use her early speed to secure position from her rail draw, led through opening splits of 22.90 seconds for the quarter mile and 47.32 for the half on the fast dirt track. Standoutsensation still had her head in front through six furlongs in 1:12.32, but Nerazurri was breathing down her throat. She responded readily when given her cue, opened better than three lengths into the stretch, and continued to extend her margin to the wire.
Take Charge Omaha, sixth of seven after the half, rallied to be second by a length over Low Country Magic. Nerazurri finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.60.
"When I asked her, she kept running," Prat said. "She's been running against some nice horses."
To say the least. Nerazurri, a 4-year-old Protonico filly trained by Mark Casse for Michael Eiseman, won the Oaklawn Sports Overnight Stakes in January, then finished second to Casse-trained Nitrogen in the Grade 3 Bayakoa. Nerazurri bounced right back to win the Trivista Overnight Stakes, but then struggled in Grade 1 company, finishing sixth in the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn and eighth in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs. Saturday, she dominated the company she kept.
The other three stakes on Saturday's undercard showcased Ohio-bred or Ohio-accredited runners from the state's program.
* Strategic Profile was the least-accomplished of trainer Tim Hamm’s three runners coming in to Saturday’s $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup, which showcased Ohio-bred 3-year-olds. However, Hamm felt the gelding could hold his own, reasoning that he needed his last start and was crying out for more distance. Strategic Profile delivered, holding off favored stablemate Water Into Wine through the stretch for a neck win that returned $36.40 to those who heeded Hamm’s pre-race comments.
Strategic Profile finished the 1 1/8 miles, his longest race yet in four career starts, in 1:52.70. He has won three of those four outings, and is perfect this year, as he stretched out following a May 28 allowance win at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Hamm is also a leading breeder in Ohio via his Blazing Meadows Farm, which stands prominent regional sire National Flag, and its various partners. However, Strategic Profile, a $35,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, races for Runnymoore Racing, a client relatively new to the Ohio scene.
"We got Runnymore involved in the Ohio program a few years ago," Hamm said pre-race. "They've got four mares that have foaled [in-state] and are back in foal. We've got a couple in foal to our stallion. So hoping for them to have a big day with him."
* Ronnis Second Wind ($9) and Victor Fernandez were up in the final strides to edge longshot pacesetter Momma K’s Boy by three-quarters of a length in the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial for older Ohio-accredited runners.
Momma K’s Boy held second by a head over Shadowy in a blanket finish. It was just another head to Villian in fourth.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:46.82.
Ronnis Second Wind, a 4-year-old Indy Wind gelding, is trained and co-owned by Robert Cline. The winner of the 2025 Horizon Stakes has now taken both his starts this year.
* The consistent Authoritarian Girl ($7.20) was a handy two-length repeat winner of the $75,000 Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial for Ohio-accredited fillies and mares.
Authoritarian Girl and Luis Gonzalez broke well from post 8 in the field of nine, and were pressed by Coloryoureggs through the opening quarter of 22.60 seconds. They were able to shake that foe off and open a clear lead while taking something of a breather to get the half in 46.22 seconds, and were home clear from there, driving to the wire. The 5-year-old Medal Count mare stopped the clock in 1:12.56 for her seven furlongs.
Lofty Cowtown, seventh after the opening quarter, closed to edge Kichi Kitsu by half a length for second.
Authoritarian Girl, who is trained by Marco Ibarra for James McDonald and Authentic Racing, has now won 10 of 15 career starts.
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