Pretty Jane best in Excitable Lady

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Pretty Jane, ridden by Brice Blanc, overtook a pair of pace-setting favorites in deep stretch to post a 19-1 upset in the feature race Saturday at Churchill Downs, the $68,200 Excitable Lady overnight handicap.

Owned by Garrett Redmond and trained by Eduardo Caramori, Pretty Jane was last for much of the five-furlong turf race before rolling past her seven rivals, including Unbridled Sidney, the 6-5 favorite, and Nicole's Dream, the 5-2 second choice, in the final 100 yards.

Pretty Jane returned $41 after finishing in 56.44 seconds over a firm turf. A 5-year-old mare by Subordination, Pretty Jane had competed without much success over the last two years at longer distances against the likes of Intercontinental, Honey Ryder, Wend, and Sand Springs.

"We knew she was going to close, but we didn't know if she could get there in time," said Caramori, a Lexington-based trainer whose most notable starter in Churchill history was First American, the 16th-place finisher in the 1999 Kentucky Derby.