Rainha De Bateria goes from last to first in Jessamine

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rainha De Bateria rallied from last to earn her way to the Breeders’ Cup with a 1 1/2-length triumph Wednesday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Jessamine Stakes on the Keeneland turf.

After Joel Rosario sat chilly while Cool Comfort sped away to a huge lead down the backstretch, Rainha De Bateria proceeded to pass all seven of her opponents in securing a Win and You’re In berth to the Oct. 31 BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

Owned by the Three Chimneys Farm of Zuleika Torrealba and trained by Graham Motion, Rainha Bateria returned $8.20 to win as second choice after finishing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.85 over a turf course rated good.

Quality Rocks, the 3-1 third choice, finished second, another 3 1/4 lengths before Fila Primera, the 9-5 favorite.

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Before 9,851 who turned out for the first good-weather afternoon of a four-day-old fall meet, Cool Comfort ran off with Rafael Hernandez in splits of 22.41 and 46.94 seconds before the others began closing in. Quality Rocks was the first to pounce, and she forged ahead at the furlong pole, but Rainha De Bateria had tons of outside momentum and won as she pleased.

“Turning for home, she picked off horses one-by-one,” said Rosario. “She was the strongest down the stretch.”

Steve Jackson, representing Three Chimneys, said “I certainly hope so” when asked during an in-house simulcast interview whether the expenses-paid trip to Santa Anita would be accepted. The Jessamine was the eighth and last Win and You’re In race of a traditionally front-loaded fall meet.

After the top three, the order was Cool Comfort, Walking the Kitten, Late Spring, Magnificent Margo, and True to You. West Coast Belle was an early scratch.

The $2 exacta (9-4) paid $38.60, the $1 trifecta (9-4-3) returned $57.10, and the 10-cent superfecta (9-4-3-6) was worth $28.82.