Turf may be in Jody’s Pride’s future

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Even as Jody’s Pride was running well on the dirt last year, trainer Jorge Abreu had the belief the filly was truly meant for the turf.

Now, she may actually get the chance to prove him right.

Jody’s Pride, who finished seventh in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland on April 5, is no longer under consideration for the Kentucky Oaks and is likely to be pointed to a turf race for her next start, Abreu said.

“Now that she ran bad, it probably gives me a chance to run her on the turf,” Abreu said. “Like Flavien [Prat] told me, you liked her on the turf, it’s probably time now to give it a try.”

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Prat has ridden Jody’s Pride in four of her five races, including a maiden win and the Matron Stakes, both races scheduled for the turf but run on the dirt. Jody’s Pride finished second to Just F Y I in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita before winning her 3-year-old debut in the one-mile Busher Stakes at Aqueduct on March 2. That gave her enough qualifying points to make it into the Kentucky Oaks.

But Jody’s Pride was a non-factor in the Ashland, finishing 9 1/4 lengths behind Leslie’s Rose.

Abreu said that Jody’s Pride may have been a bit tired, shipping from Florida, where she wintered, to New York for the Busher and then to Kentucky for the Ashland.

Abreu said Jody’s Pride is back at Belmont and will likely just jog for the next few weeks before resuming more serious training in early May. By late May-early June there are typically a bevy of turf stakes from which to choose.

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