Penwith invades for Lady Jacqueline Stakes

Penwith has traveled the U.S. this year, racing in stakes from Gulfstream Park, to Santa Anita, to Churchill Downs, and Delaware Park. On Saturday, another track goes on her itinerary: Thistledown.

She is one of eight fillies and mares entered in the Lady Jacqueline Stakes, an unrestricted stakes race made attractive to horsemen by its $200,000 purse. Besides Penwith, the winner of the Grade 2 Royal Delta at Gulfstream in February for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, the race drew the Todd Pletcher-trained Genre, who took the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park in her last start July 31.

These two loom as clear favorites in the 1 1/4-mile Lady Jacqueline, along with Joint Return, who has been less effective over the past two years after winning three stakes as a 3-year-old in 2014.

Penwith, owned by Godolphin and with Chris DeCarlo coming in to ride, should appreciate the class relief in the Lady Jacqueline after running in three consecutive Grade 1 races. She ran fourth in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita in March, sixth in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs in May, and a distant third most recently behind I’m a Chatterbox and Paid Up Subscriber in the Delaware Handicap on July 16.

I’m a Chatterbox and Paid Up Subscriber are in a far more demanding race Saturday, the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on the Travers card at Saratoga.

As graded stakes winners at a mile or longer, Penwith and Genre, both daughters of Bernardini, are highweighted at 124 pounds, spotting the rest of the field two to six pounds.

Trevor McCarthy rides Genre, who shares an up-close running style with Penwith, although neither is a need-the-lead type.

Joint Return and Penwith are the only mares with experience at 1 1/4 miles on the main track, with Joint Return running one of her best races when second in the 2014 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga and Penwith having run third in the Delaware Handicap.

Only two of the horses in this field have run at Thistledown, the longshot locals Queen Concerto and Candy War, neither of whom appears to be classy enough to contend.

Pay the Man Stakes

One race before the Lady Jacqueline is a stakes race more typical of Thistledown: a $75,000 Ohio-bred affair called the Pay the Man.

The race offers a mix of 3-year-old fillies and older mares, including defending champion and 14-time Ohio-bred stakes winner Needmore Flattery, who is returning to her preferred surface of dirt after a pair of flat performances on grass at Belterra Park.

She hasn’t been as dominant in 2016 as in past years but could return to peak form back at Thistledown, where she has won 10 of 18 starts.

Tune Up and Bold Cait are her principal rivals among the other eight entrants, with Tune Up being very consistent and Bold Cait being a dirt specialist who, like Needmore Flattery, should move forward while going from turf to dirt.

Tah Dah at Belterra

Another stakes race for Ohio-breds will be run Saturday at Belterra Park, the $75,000 Tah Dah for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs.

The race has many of the runners who competed in the Miss Ohio at Thistledown on July 23, including the runner-up, True Cinder, one of the likely public choices, along with Nikki My Darling and Someday Soon.

Nikki My Darling, purchased for $100,000 at auction last March, failed to challenge as the favorite in the Miss Ohio, though that race came in her debut, and inexperience may have contributed to her loss. She rebounded by winning a maiden race by 2 1/2 lengths in fast time at Thistledown on Aug. 1.

Someday Soon has the advantage of having won at Belterra, winning a maiden race in the mud first out before finishing fifth after a troubled start in the Miss Ohio.