Looking for his fourth GI Jenny Wiley S. triumph in the last five years and fifth overall, Chad Brown will saddle two imposing favorites in Saturday's renewal of Keeneland's annual 1 1/16-mile turf test for older fillies and mares. Brown is tied with Bill Mott and former boss and mentor Bobby Frankel for the most victories in the race, which has been run since 1989.
Given the slightest of nods on the morning line at 6-5 is Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}), who starts as a 4-year-old for the first time after a smashing finale to her sophomore season. Transferred from Frederic Rossi's barn last winter after going two-for-five in France, the bay was a distant runner-up trying to close into a slow pace making her Stateside debut in the Boiling Springs S. June 26 at Monmouth. Rallying to a three-length score in the GIII Pucker Up S. at Arlington Aug. 14, she repeated with a game tally in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. Sept. 18 at Belmont before a devastating five-length romp in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. over yielding turf here Oct. 16. The Madaket Stables colorbearer tuned up with a five-furlong bullet around dogs on the local lawn in 1:02 4/5 (1/8) in company with her uncoupled stablemate Sunday.
The narrow second choice at 7-5 is that barnmate, nine-time stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom). The chestnut scored five times in seven outings to open her career before finishing off the board for the first time when sixth in the QEII here in October of 2019. Finding the mark once in three starts in an abbreviated 2020 campaign, she went three-for-five in 2021 and closed the year with her first top-level success in the GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. Her 6-year-old bow was a winning one, as she ran away to an easy 2 1/2-length success in the first running of the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational S. Jan. 29 at Gulfstream.
Waliyak (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) adds some international intrigue in her second North American outing. Picking up her first stakes victory in the British Stallion Studs EBF Dick Hern S. last August at Haydock, the dark bay was second in the G3 Betway Atalanta S. two weeks later at Sandown Park before punching her ticket to the U.S. with a conquest of the G3 Prix Bertrand de Tarragon Sept. 17 at Chantilly. She was then fourth in the GI E. P. Taylor S. when last seen Oct. 17 at Woodbine.
Rounding out the field are Scarabea (American Pharoah), fifth in Gulfstream's 12-furlong GIII Orchid S. last out after making an early move to the lead, Navratilova (Medaglia d'Oro), who upset the local GIII Rubicon Valley View S. at 25-1 in October, and 'Rising Star' Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), victress of the GI Natalma S. as a juvenile in 2020.
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