With a powerful outside move, Buchu secured a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland.
The daughter of Justify was unhurried out of gate by jockey Martin Garcia, settling in near the back of the pack while Bella Haze and Asternia set the early pace in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, leading through the first turn and setting an opening quarter-mile in :22.84 seconds.
Bella Haze and jockey Joel Rosario maintained a half-length advantage over 51-1 longshot Asternia and Julien Leparoux coming out of the turn, and that advantage remained about the same as they went across the backstretch, tracked a length behind by Time to Dazzle, and another length back to post time favorite Toupie. Meanwhile, Buchu remained in third-to-last, as the leaders passed the half-mile point in :47.37 seconds.
Little changed through the next quarter-mile up front, with Bella Haze holding the advantage on the rail through six furlongs in 1:12.12. Challenger Asternia was no longer able to keep up and faded into the pack, while Abeyance attempted to move up the rail and challenge the leader.
Buchu was still third-to-last when the field turned for home, but Garcia swung his mount widest of all and started making up lots of ground between the quarter pole and the three-sixteenths pole. While Bella Haze staved off the challengers in her immediate vicinity, Buchu came rolling down the stretch several paths out from the pacesetter, and they reached equal terms just past the eighth pole. Buchu carried on the momentum on the outside and rolled on to a 3 3/4-length victory.
Bella Haze was swallowed up by the cavalry charge in the final furlong, as Pharoah's Wind made a middle move to finish second, a nose ahead of Crown Imperial. Bella Haze finished fourth,
Buchu completed the Jessamine in 1:42.48 over a turf course labeled as good. She paid $13.30 to win.
Trainer Philip Bauer saddled Buchu to victory for owner Rigney Racing, who also bred the filly.
The Jessamine was Buchu's second career victory after breaking her maiden in her previous start on Sept. 23 at Churchill Downs. Friday's race was her first try at stakes competition, after beginning her career with a pair of third-place efforts on the dirt at Ellis Park and Saratoga Race Course. She was moved to the turf for her next Saratoga start on Aug. 20, but she finished sixth after a troubled trip, prior to her race at Churchill Downs, also on the grass.
“The last time (maiden win at Churchill) she was a little fresh and she was inside,” Garcia said. “Today I had a really good position. I knew it was going to be big speed so I just let her break and relax. In the first turn I just took it easy and took her back and she relaxed on the backside. At the five-sixteenths (pole) I just took her out and then I asked her to go, and all I could see was just going by horses. I'm like, 'I'm going to win!' She's a phenomenal filly. We won again. Thanks to the trainer (Phil Bauer) and the owner (Rigney Racing) for the opportunity. She's a superstar.”
With the victory on Friday, Buchu guaranteed herself a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday, Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park.
If she is successful, she would be the first Jessamine winner to prevail in the Juvenile Fillies Turf since Aunt Pearl parlayed the race into a Breeders' Cup score in 2020. Rushing Fall also turned the Jessamine/Juvenile Fillies Turf double in 2017.
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