KatieRich Stables’ May Day Ready, a game winner of Friday’s $350,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales, will return to trainer Joe Lee’s Belmont Park base in advance of her intended start in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Despite losing a shoe in the race, May Day Ready powered between rivals to gain the victory in the final stride and was unaffected by the mishap. She is undefeated in three starts, including the $1 million Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

“I guess we will go back to New York; she trains well over that track,” Lee said. “Probably ship in the next few days. She lost the right front shoe, so we are going to take a good look at it here. She seems fine—the shoe came off cleanly. Not sure when it happened.”

Lee quipped that he is hoping to locate the missing shoe as a souvenir.

“I know my kids would want a set of four instead of three,” he said.

Lee’s wife, Susie, and their children – Anthony, Stephanie, Dominic and Joseph – were here for the race. The latter two along with their father have been handling Keeneland barn chores for May Day Ready and her unraced Keeneland stablemate, Yume.

The family celebrated the triumph last night at Don Jockey restaurant in Midway, Kentucky, with KatieRich owner Larry Doyle and his wife, Karen. Doyle also brought the traditional box of donuts to the barn Saturday morning.

Lee’s entire stable numbers fewer than 10 horses, and although he has just 18 wins in his own name, he has a long history of exercising and assisting with top-shelf runners. After working for D. Wayne Lukas, Lee in 1993 began a long association internationally with Sheikh Mohammed under several trainers, including Kiaran McLaughlin.

May Day Ready herself is well connected. She is a daughter of Tapit and the More Than Ready mare Nemoralia, who finished third in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland. Her regular jockey is Frankie Dettori, who rode Nemoralia in Europe. 

Regarding the runner-up from the Jessamine Presented by Keeneland Sales:

“She’s an inch from being a stakes winner,” trainer Rusty Arnold said of Totally Justified, who was beaten a nose by May Day Ready.

“Watching it live, I thought she was third and the 6 (Destino d’Oro) had won, and then on the slo-mo, she had her head down at the wire and looked like she got the bob and I thought she won.”

About Totally Justified’s attempt at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, “I don’t even know if she will get in,” Arnold said of the field, which is limited to 14 entrants and four also-eligibles. “She will train here and if we are in, we’re in. If not, we don’t go.”