Saddle Up Jessie goes for back-to-back stakes on short rest in Ladies

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Saddle Up Jessie wheels back on two weeks’ rest in an attempt to win a second straight stakes in Saturday’s $150,000 Ladies at Aqueduct going 1 1/8 miles on dirt. The Kentucky-bred daughter of More Than Ready hopes to increase her value before she is scheduled to sell Tuesday at Keeneland’s January horses of all ages sale.

Owner Mike Ryan was the breeder of Saddle Up Jessie and was surprised to see her struggle during the early part of her career racing on turf at Santa Anita. Ryan had Leonard Powell claim Saddle Up Jessie for him for $20,000 in January 2023. After a break, first in California then in Kentucky, Ryan sent Saddle Up Jessie to trainer Brittany Russell in Maryland. For Russell, Saddle Up Jessie has won 4 of 5 starts, including the Carousel Stakes on Dec. 23 at Laurel.

“The filly’s sound, very happy; normally I wouldn’t come back off short rest but she had seven weeks between her two most recent races,” Ryan said. “Brittany is very astute. She said there’s no reason not to go.”

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In the Carousel, Saddle Up Jessie sat close off a pedestrian pace before drawing clear to win by 4 3/4 lengths. She also has run well from off the pace when the early fractions were fast. Sheldon Russell rides Saddle Up Jessie from post 6.

Comparative and She’s Mo Bubbly will likely vie for favoritism in the Ladies, which had its inaugural running in 1868 and is being run Saturday for the 152nd time.

Comparative, a Godolphin homebred trained by Brad Cox, came off a six-month layoff to win a second-level allowance going a one-turn mile here Nov. 25. Comparative’s only stakes try proved fruitless when she finished eighth of nine after early trouble in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico in May.

“I thought it was a big race off the layoff, and she’s had plenty of time to recover,” Cox said. “I thought she might need the race from a fitness standpoint.”

Cox and assistant trainer Dustin Dugas also were high on Comparative’s five-furlong workout in 1:01.45 on Dec. 30, the fastest of 30 moves at the distance.

Manny Franco rides Comparative from post 5.

She’s Mo Bubbly looks to give trainer Todd Pletcher his fourth Ladies victory in the last five runnings and fifth overall. She’s Mo Bubbly, a daughter of Uncle Mo, is a two-time winner at 1 1/8 miles on dirt, including a hard-fought first-level allowance win here Dec. 16.

Kendrick Carmouche rides from post 3.

Evidencias, a Group 2 winner going 1 1/4 miles on dirt in Brazil, comes out of a second-place finish to Hot Fudge in a one-turn mile allowance Dec. 1. Hot Fudge came out of that race to win the Garland of Roses Stakes.

Know It All Audrey finished fifth in the one-mile Bay Ridge Stakes for New York-breds on Dec. 28. She did win the Empire Distaff at 1 1/8 miles in October.

Rayya Valentine comes out of a 4 1/2-length maiden win going a one-turn mile on Dec. 15.

The Ladies goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m. and includes the $150,000 Jerome Stakes for 3-year-olds.

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