Shantisara, Regal Glory work five furlongs for Jenny Wiley

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland set up the dogs and opened its turf course for breezes Sunday morning, and Chad Brown – no surprise – had noteworthy workers.

Brown’s two intended runners for Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes, Shantisara and Regal Glory, worked in company. They were followed shortly by Brown’s Masen and Public Sector, expected entrants for Friday’s Grade 1, $600,000 Maker’s Mark Mile.

Shantisara and Regal Glory were timed in 1:02.80 for five furlongs, while Public Sector and Masen came in 50.40 for a half-mile. None of the four horses was asked for much with their races less than a week away.

Both Jenny Wiley runners raced last fall in Keeneland Grade 1s, Regal Glory finishing second to stablemate Blowout in the First Lady, Shantisara impressively winning the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup for 3-year-olds.

Shantisara will make her 4-year-old debut Saturday as a potential elite performer in the older filly-and-mare middle-distance turf division. The French import improved dramatically through a four-start 2021 campaign, winning the Pucker Up at Arlington and the $671,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Belmont before finishing with a flourish by posting a five-length win in the QE II.

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“It’s reasonable to try and map out an Eclipse sort of season for her,” Brown said.

Both Maker’s Mark hopefuls will race for the first time at age 4, and Masen also is set to make his North American debut here Friday. Public Sector capped a successful 2021 campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Hollywood Derby, which snapped a three-race stakes winning streak. Masen, a Juddmonte Farms homebred by Kingman, was trained in Ireland by Ger Lyons and has yet to win a graded-stakes race, though his 2021 season concluded with two encouraging performances in lesser company.

“I think it’s one of those races where it’s a very competitive field. As long as there are no superstars, I don’t mind taking a shot,” Brown said.