Buy TicketsFirst Mission prevails in Stonestreet Lexington; Twilight Gleaming (IRE)
much the best in Giant’s Causeway
Peter Brant’s In Italian (GB) made a stylish return to the races by leading all the way to win the 35th running of the $600,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) for fillies and mares Saturday afternoon by 3 lengths over With The Moonlight (IRE).
Prior to the Jenny Wiley, Godolphin’s homebred First Mission won the 41st running of the $400,000 Stonestreet Lexington (G3) for 3-year-olds, and Stonestreet Stables’ Twilight Gleaming (IRE) took the 26th running of the $250,000 Giant’s Causeway (L) for fillies and mares.
In Italian was making her first start since a runner-up finish in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) here last fall, and she took the field of six wire to wire in notching her third Grade 1 victory.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., In Italian covered the 1 1/16 miles over a firm turf course in 1:39.71. The victory is the sixth in the race for Brown and his fifth in the past six renewals.
Brown’s first victory came in 2015 with Ball Dancing, and he followed that with triumphs by Sistercharlie (IRE) in 2018, Rushing Fall in 2019 and 2020 and Regal Glory last year. Brant owned Sistercharlie and Regal Glory.
In Italian set fractions of :23.63, :47.29 and 1:10.66 while being tracked by Queen Goddess with White Frost and With The Moonlight racing a joint third. On the far turn, Queen Goddess began to retreat as With The Moonlight took up the chase but never threatened the winner.
In Italian is a 5-year-old daughter of Dubawi out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Florentina. The victory was worth $306,125 and increased In Italian’s earnings to $1,635,308 with a record of 10-6-3-1.
In Italian returned $3.50, $2.38 and $2.10. With The Moonlight, ridden by William Buick, returned $3.10 and $2.62 and finished 1¼ lengths in front of White Frost, who paid $3.42 to show under Frankie Dettori.
It was another 3 lengths back to Skims (GB), who was followed in order by Pizza Bianca and Queen Goddess.
First Mission prevails in Stonestreet Lexington
In the Stonestreet Lexington, First Mission squeezed through a narrow opening along the rail at the eighth pole and then eased past pacesetting Arabian Lion at the sixteenth pole to win by a half-length.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, First Mission covered the 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.74. It is the third victory in the race for Cox, who won last year with Tawny Port and in 2019 with Owendale.
The top five finishers picked up points toward the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve. The Kentucky Derby is limited to the top 20 point earners and invitees that pass the entry box; only Disarm, who picked up 6 points for finishing third, earned enough points to crack that threshold.
Breaking from the outside post 10, Arabian Lion cleared the field before the first turn and posted fractions of :24.12 and :48.01 with Prairie Hawk chasing in second and First Mission racing third while in the clear.
On the far turn, First Mission began to close in and at the top of the stretch moved toward the rail as Arabian Lion swung wide. First Mission reached even terms at the eighth pole and then pulled away in the final yards.
First Mission is a Kentucky-bred son of Street Sense out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Elude. The victory was worth $232,500 and increased First Mission’s earnings to $276,500 with a record of 3-2-1-0.
Sent off as the favorite, First Mission returned $6.38, $4 and $3.16. Arabian Lion, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., returned $5.14 and $3.52 with Disarm finishing 4¼ lengths back in third under Jose Ortiz and paying $2.96 to show.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Denington, who was followed in order by Demolition Duke, Prairie Hawk, Empirestrikesfast, Baseline Beater, Reinvest and Curly Larry and Mo.
Twilight Gleaming (IRE) takes Giant’s Causeway
In the Giant’s Causeway, Twilight Gleaming cruised past Miner’s Queen approaching the eighth pole and coasted to a 1½-length victory over Querobin Dourada.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Twilight Gleaming covered the 5½ furlongs on a firm turf course in a stakes-record 1:01.74. The previous standard was set last year of 1:01.98 by Campanelle (IRE), who was owned by Stonestreet and trained by Ward.
The victory is the fourth in the race for Ward, who also won with Lady Aurelia in 2017 and Holiday for Kitten in 2011, and the third for Ortiz, who rode Campanelle last year and Morticia in 2019.
Miner’s Queen led the field of 12 through fractions of :21.68 and :44.39 with Twilight Gleaming tracking to her outside. In the stretch, Ortiz sent Twilight Gleaming after the leader, quickly took command and was not threatened in the run to the wire.
The winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar, Twilight Gleaming is a 4-year-old daughter of National Defense out of the Dansili mare Thames Pageant. The victory was worth $113,150 and increased her earnings to $906,580 with a record of 10-6-3-0.
As the favorite, Twilight Gleaming returned $7.54, $4.96 and $3.42. Querobin Dourada, ridden by Joe Talamo, returned $54.50 and $24.82 and finished a head in front of Star Devine (IRE), who paid $4.54 to show under Jose Ortiz.
It was another neck back to Happy Soul, who was followed in order by Little Jewel, Mamba Wamba (IRE), Minaun (IRE) and Miner’s Queen, who finished in a dead heat seventh, Oeuvre, Opening Buzz, Train to Artemus and Creative Credit.