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California Angel Gives Trainer George Leonard First Graded Victory In Jessamine

California Angel is going to California.

So said trainer George Leonard III after Chris Walsh's daughter of California Chrome rallied from far back to post a head victory over Diamond Wow in the 31st running of the $200,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) for 2-year-old fillies Wednesday afternoon at Keeneland.

With the victory, California Angel earned a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 5 at Del Mar. The JPMorgan Chase Jessamine was the 10th and final Breeders' Cup Challenge race offered by Keeneland to start the 17-day Fall Meet.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, California Angel covered the 1 1/16 miles on a turf course labeled as good in 1:44.30.

California Angel was Leonard's first starter in a graded stakes. She netted Bejarano his 19th Keeneland stakes win and first here since Oct. 8, 2010, aboard Wickedly Perfect in the Darley Alcibiades (G1).

Favored Turnerloose quickly bounded out for the lead in the field of 13 as California Angel raced near the rear of the field. With Florent Geroux aboard, Turnerloose maintained a daylight advantage until upper stretch when Diamond Wow applied pressure.

At the head of the lane, California Angel had one horse beat as Bejarano swung her eight wide for a clear run at the field. She was still 5 lengths back at the eighth pole and got up in the final yards to ease by Diamond Wow and Turnerloose.

Now 2-for-2 on the turf, California Angel is a Kentucky-bred daughter of California Chrome out of the Tiz Wonderful mare Sea Mona. California Angel increased her career earnings to $213,700 with Wednesday's $120,000 check.

California Angel returned $37.60, $14 and $5.60. Diamond Wow, ridden by Mike Smith, returned $10 and $5.40 and finished a neck in front of Turnerloose, who paid $2.60 to show.

It was another length back to Dressed, who was followed in order by Opalina, Roughly a Diamond, Misthaven (IRE), Kneesnhips, Bhoma, Queen Judith, Rigby, Boxing Day and Ontheonesandtwos.

Racing continues Thursday with a 10-race program beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

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California Chrome Filly Flies Home To Upset Jessamine

When trainer George Leonard III began training horses in 1991, his stable was represented by two winners that earned a grand total of just over $5,000 combined. The conditioner's 15th winner of 2021, California Angel (California Chrome), earned a check better than 20 times that amount in Wednesday's GII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. at Keeneland, coming with a strong finishing kick over the top of rivals to give Leonard III his first stakes victory of any variety while securing a fees-paid berth into the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies' Turf Nov. 5 at Del Mar.

Void of any early speed as heavily favored Turnerloose (Nyquist) tried to build on her victory in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Sept. 6, California Angel settled one from the tail and three wide down the backstretch and into the second turn. Ridden along by Rafael Bejarano five-sixteenths of a mile from home, the chestnut was produced on the grandstand side in upper stretch, some eight off the inside, and raced on her incorrect lead for most of the final two furlongs, but was up in the nick of time to cause the upset. Diamond Wow (Lookin At Lucky) sat a wide trip, mostly without cover, from a high draw and battled on bravely through the lane, only to be pipped late while covering 17 feet more than the winner, per Trakus. Turnerloose had no visible excuse in third.

California Angel was no better than a 28-1 gamble for her Sept. 8 unveiling going the mile at Kentucky Downs, and she was off to an inauspicious and awkward start before settling in a detached last of nine. Ridden without panic by Bejarano, she was steered into the three path at the half-mile point, made eyecatching outside progress in the false straight and kicked home powerfully down the center to score by 2 3/4 highly impressive lengths. She wasn't off to the most promising of beginnings when last seen in a six-furlong allowance over the Churchill main track Sept. 30, but she gained steadily to round out the trifecta.

“I thought I had a special filly from the beginning, but I never dreamed of being here,” Leonard said from the winners' celebration on the Keeneland turf course. “After she won [her debut], I heard all this talk and we decided to try this. It's just been a dream come true. Everything's worked well, got an excellent rider in [Rafael Bejarano]. He gets along with her good. She made a perfect run. I couldn't ask for anything more. We're looking forward to California.”

Pedigree Notes:

California Angel is the second graded winner and second black-type winner for her expatriated sire, joining GII Prioress S. upsetter Cilla. One of 47 North American winners from her sire's two crops to race (78 winners including the Southern Hemisphere), California Angel was acquired by the BBA (Ireland) for $60,000 in utero at Keeneland January in 2019 and fetched $5,000 as a KEENOV weanling 10 months later. Leonard signed the ticket on California Angel after she worked an eighth of a mile in an extremely green :10 3/5 at this year's OBS June Sale.

The Feb. 10 foal is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to SW Let Em Shine (Songandaprayer) and Puerto Rican SW Golden Diamond (Gemologist) and is a half-sister to a yearling Distorted Humor filly that sold to Niall Brennan for €72,000 at this year's Goffs Orby sale. Sea Mona is the dam of a weanling filly by Irish National Stud's outstanding Invincible Spirit (Ire).

Wednesday, Keeneland
JPMORGAN CHASE JESSAMINE S.-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 10-13, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.30, gd.
1–CALIFORNIA ANGEL, 118, f, 2, by California Chrome
                1st Dam: Sea Mona (SP), by Tiz Wonderful
                2nd Dam: Justaspell, by Johannesburg
                3rd Dam: Lovethespell, by Capote
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($5,000 Wlg
'19 KEENOV; $5,500 2yo '21 OBSOPN). O-Chris Walsh; B-Irish
National Stud (KY); T-George Leonard, III; J-Rafael Bejarano.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $213,700. Werk Nick
Rating: B+. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Diamond Wow, 118, f, 2, Lookin At Lucky–Patriotic Diamond,
by Hat Trick (Jpn). O-Diamond 100 Racing Club, LLC, Amy
Dunne & Patrick L. Biancone LLC; B-Patrick Biacone Diamond
100 Racing C (KY); T-Patrick L. Biancone. $40,000.
3–Turnerloose, 120, f, 2, Nyquist–Goaltending, by A.P. Indy.
($32,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O-Ike & Dawn Thrash; B-William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $20,000.
Margins: HD, NK, 1. Odds: 17.80, 9.90, 0.80.
Also Ran: Dressed, Opalina, Roughly a Diamond, Misthaven (Ire), Kneesnhips, Bhoma, Queen Judith, Rigby, Boxing Day, Ontheonesandtwos. Scratched: Blissful, Decree of Love, Haughty. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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NBC Sports To Present Final Breeders’ Cup Challenge Race From Keeneland Wednesday

Led by unbeaten Turnerloose, an overflow field of 14, including two also-eligibles, has been entered for Wednesday's $200,000 Jessamine Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Race Course with the final automatic starting position in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) up for grabs. The 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies will be televised live on NBCSN at 4 p.m. ET as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

Wednesday program marks the 13th and final show in this year's “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing” on NBC and NBCSN from some of North America's most iconic racetracks. The series leads to the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar racetrack in Del Mar, California, on Nov. 5-6, which will be shown live on NBC and NBCSN. The Breeders' Cup World Championships television schedule appears here.

NBC Sports' coverage will feature commentary and discussion from its International Broadcast Center in Stamford, Conn., led by host Ahmed Fareed, analyst Randy Moss, and handicapper Matt Bernier. Reporters Britney Eurton and Nick Luck will be on-site at Keeneland.

Dawn and Ike Thrash's Turnerloose has started her career with two wins. Trained by Brad Cox, the daughter of 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist broke her maiden at 1 mile at Ellis Park on July 16 and then captured the 1-mile Aristocrat Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs by five lengths on Sept. 6. Florent Geroux rides from post three.

Another runner coming off a big effort at Kentucky Downs is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Dressed, who has won two of her three starts. After breaking her maiden in her second try at Arlington Park, Dressed, trained by Wayne Catalano, came from off the pace to win a 6 ½-furlong allowance optional claiming race at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 12 by 3 ¼ lengths. Dressed will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 12.

Making a five-wide sweeping move, SF Racing's Misthaven (IRE) won on debut in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight by 1 ¾ lengths on Sept 5 at Kentucky Downs. Breaking from post 10, Misthaven, trained by Joe Sharp, will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. Starting just to the outside of Misthaven in post 11 is Teneri Farm and J Stable's Opalina. Trained by Roderick Rodriguez, Opalina is up from Gulfstream Park in Florida, where she broke her maiden at 1 mile on Sept. 17. Opalina will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.

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Clement: No BC Decision Yet For Gufo, Pizza Bianca Possible For BC Juvenile Filly Turf

Trainer Christophe Clement was gallant in defeat after Otter Bend Stables' Gufo finished third as the favorite in Saturday's $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Guided by regular pilot Joel Rosario, Gufo displayed his usual rear-of-the-field tactics as defending non-consecutive Joe Hirsch winner Channel Maker established command through the early stages. Approaching the far turn, Rosario gave the 4-year-old Declaration of War chestnut his cue and he responded quickly, powering to the front nearing upper stretch. But Rockemperor came with a sweeping wide move in the final furlong-and-a-half and drew away to a two-length score.

Clement expressed some uncertainty regarding pointing Gufo to the $4 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. He earned an automatic entry into the race when capturing the Grade 1 Resorts World Sword Dancer on August 28 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“Gufo ran a great race. He came back a little stiff from his race yesterday, but not bad,” Clement said. “We'll live to fight another day. The winner was impressive. No decision has been made yet. I'll have to see how he comes out of it a week-to-10 days before we commit to the Breeders' Cup.”

In rounding out the Joe Hirsch trifecta, Gufo maintained a never-off-the-board record in a baker's dozen starts, which include victories in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational last October and the Grand Couturier in July at Belmont. He was a respective second and third in his first two starts of the year in the Man o' War and Manhattan, both Grade 1 races at Belmont.

One race prior to the Joe Hirsch, Clement saw his maiden-winning juvenile filly Gal in a Rush display a devastating turn of foot to run second at 29-1 odds in the $150,0000 Grade 3 Matron.

“She ran huge. It was a very good performance, I loved the way she ran,” Clement said. “She was out of it in last, swung out four or five wide, and showed a great turn of foot. Unfortunately, she did not win but I loved the performance.”

Not all was lost on Saturday for Clement, who saddled a trio of winners on the program. In the second race, he sent out impressive first-time starter Shad Nation for owners Wonder Stables, Madaket Stables, and Golconda Stable. The daughter of Cairo Prince earned a 73 Beyer for a 1 ¾-length victory going 1 1/16 miles over the Widener turf.

“She's a nice filly,” Clement said. “She never showed that much on dirt all summer long so we switched her back on turf, and moved her to Saratoga in early September. All of her works have been nice. Every single one of them. She's obviously a very nice filly with the way she won yesterday.”

Clement said Shad Nation could target the $100,000 Tepin on November 28 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

“At the moment, if she trains well, the Tepin would make sense. But you have to deal with the ground and that kind of thing,” Clement said.

Clement also saddled West Point Thoroughbreds-owned Phantom Smoke and Voodoo Zip to respective victories.

Phantom Smoke, a son of Ghostzapper bred in New York by Kathleen Schweizer and Daniel Burke, defeated winners for the first time in a six-furlong allowance event over the inner turf.

Voodoo Zip scored a third lifetime win with a narrow victory going six furlongs over the inner turf at allowance optional claiming level. The son of City Zip has never finished off the board in a dozen lifetime starts.

On Sunday morning, Clement worked Grade 1-placed juvenile filly Pizza Bianca over the inner turf in :50.02. Owned and bred by celebrity chef Bobby Flay, the daughter of Fastnet Rock was second in the Grade 1 Natalma in September at Woodbine after a first-out victory at Saratoga.

Clement said Pizza Bianca is possible for the $1 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 5 at Del Mar.

“At the moment, we're not for sure, but she will train [like we're running in] the Breeders' Cup,” Clement said.

Clement also stated that Waterville Lake Stable's New York homebred Derrynane, winner of the September 19 Woodbine Cares, will point to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

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