Saddle Up Jessie hopes to keep form in Heavenly Prize

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After failing to sell at Keeneland’s horses of racing age sale in January, Saddle Up Jessie was put back into training by her connections and the 5-year-old mare is set to resume her racing career in Saturday’s $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational at Aqueduct.

Saddle Up Jessie, whom owner Mike Ryan claimed back for $20,000 in January 2023, was in raging form with an allowance victory in November, a stakes victory in the Carousel on Dec. 23 at Laurel, and a narrow defeat to Comparative in the Ladies Stakes on Jan. 6 before heading to the auction ring.

The bidding stopped at $300,000, short of the reserve placed on her by Ryan. After declining a few private offers shortly after, Ryan elected to keep the filly and race her another year. Ryan sent Saddle Up Jessie back to trainer Brittany Russell.

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“I do think there’s still some more improvement to come, we’ll have to show it in the afternoons,” Ryan said. “She’s very sound. Brittany has done a great job with her.”

Saddle Up Jessie looked like a winner of the Ladies, where Ryan felt jockey Sheldon Russell should have been a bit more aggressive with her when he made his move up alongside Comparative, who did come back to win the Grade 3 Bayakoa on Feb. 2.

Manny Franco, who rode Comparative in the Ladies, is aboard Saddle Up Jessie on Saturday.

At a one-turn mile, the Heavenly Prize represents a turnback in distance for Saddle Up Jessie, who has made her last seven starts – six on dirt, one on turf – around two turns.

“It’s a very good question,” Ryan said about the one-turn mile. “She’s got tactical speed. That is an unknown and a minor concern we have.”

Conversely, Into Happiness should appreciate the turnback to a one-turn mile after getting beat 17 1/2 lengths in an allowance going 1 1/8 miles around two turns Dec. 28. The last time Into Happiness raced a one-turn mile, she finished second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Comparative in what was the start of the filly’s three-race winning streak.

“I ran her a mile and an eighth just to see if she could do it and found out we’re probably best served not to try that again,” trainer Mark Hennig said.

Trainer Linda Rice sends out the uncoupled pair of Portage and Movie Moxy, neither of whom were on the original list of invitees to this race. Portage, on Sunday, finished third in a six-furlong optional-claiming event. Movie Moxy, on Dec. 1, finished fourth behind stablemate Hot Fudge in a third-level allowance, her first start off a six-month layoff. Hot Fudge came back to win both the Garland of Roses and Interborough.

Lady Brew, third to Saddle Up Jessie in the Carousel, her first start on dirt, is entered to take her on again. She is a winner on turf and synthetic.

Cairo Sugar, Spiked, and Pretti Xtreme complete the field.

The Heavenly Prize goes as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 11:50 a.m.

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