LEXINGTON, Ky. - Peter Brant had thoughts of retiring Regal Glory after she won the Grade 1 Matriarch in December, thereby greatly increasing her value to his broodmare band. He even had plans to send her to the nation's leading sire, Into Mischief. "We were going to run her one more time in Florida," Brant said. But after the 6-year-old mare handily won the inaugural running of the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf in January at Gulfstream, the owner began having second thoughts. "She loves racing so much," Brant said. "She's one of those older mares that just really enjoys training, and is very happy. And we said you know, she's never been any better." Regal Glory displayed her love of racing on Saturday at Keeneland, first unleashing a devastating turn of foot to take the lead in the Grade 1, $500,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes and then stubbornly holding sway over stablemate Shantisara in the lane for a one-length victory. :: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures Not only did trainer Chad Brown saddle the first- and second-place finishers, he recorded a record fifth victory in the Wiley. He also won the race with Ball Dancing (2015) and with eventual Eclipse Award champions Sistercharlie (2018) and Rushing Fall (2019, 2020). Brown broke a three-way tie for the record with Hall of Famers Bill Mott and Bobby Frankel, with four wins each. Brown is a former assistant to the late Frankel. “I’m a lucky guy with owners like Mr. Brant and plenty before him that have sent me a lot of nice fillies, and I had a great teacher,” Brown said. “I was thinking of [Frankel] walking down here. I spent a few Jenny Wileys in the paddock with him when I was working for him, and he taught me a lot.” Regal Glory ($4), by Animal Kingdom, was bred by Paul Pompa Jr. and won three graded stakes while racing as a homebred in his colors. Pompa died in October 2020, and his bloodstock was dispersed several months later at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale. Brant purchased Regal Glory, who was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect, for a co-sale-topping $925,000 and kept her with Brown, her original trainer. She has now won five of seven starts in his colors, and has hit her stride since last summer. After winning the De La Rose Stakes in August at Saratoga, she was beaten less than a length when second in the Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland's fall meeting. She scored her first Grade 1 in the Matriarch before taking the Pegasus and now, the Wiley. “I especially want to thank Mr. Brant for not only stepping up and buying her here at Keeneland out of the dispersal for Mr. Pompa, another dear friend and client of ours,” Brown said. “It was his call to keep her in training this year. I probably would have bred her, and he said, ‘No, she’s in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year,’ and so far, he’s right.” The pace scenario for the Wiley changed immediately when Lady Speightspeare, who typically races on or near the lead, lunged at the break despite wearing a calming blanket that has soothed her in the past in the starting gate. That left her trailing early. As a result, Navratilova, a graded stakes winner on the Keeneland course last fall, was dangerously alone on the front end. She led by a length through a comfortable half in 48.14 seconds on a course officially rated good. Regal Glory was stalking her in second, clear of longshot Waliyak and of Shantisara, who saved ground while stalking. Navratilova turned for home with the lead and attempted to steal clear. But as soon as Jose Ortiz gave Regal Glory her cue, she seized command near the three-sixteenths pole with absolute ease. :: For the first time ever, our premium past performances are free! Get free Formulator now! Shantisara attempted to reel her stablemate in on the outside, but Regal Glory held sway. The younger filly, who had won the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup here last fall, then switched course to the inside and began to inch up, but Regal Glory kept on through the final stages. “She’s extremely competitive,” Brown said. “She knows where that wire is, and with Shantisara – that’s a real horse running at her.” The final time was 1:40.97 for the 1 1/16 miles. The Brown duo were 6 3/4 lengths clear of Lady Speightspeare, who recovered from her poor start to edge Scarabea by a neck to be third. “She has been absolutely golden with the blanket on – until today,” Lady Speightspeare’s trainer Roger Attfield said. “The blanket came off [as intended], but she reared up with the blanket on. The blanket had kept her from rearing in her other races. Why I don’t know – she schools every week with it on. The rearing certainly did not help her chances, but we are pleased she got up to be third.” Scarabea just nosed out Navratilova, with Waliyak completing the order of finish. Brant said that Regal Glory, who has now won 11 of 18 career starts with earnings of more than $1.8 million, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $500,000 Just a Game Stakes on the June 11 Belmont Stakes undercard.