May Day Ready (center light blue cap) noses out Totally Justified (rail) followed by Destino d’Oro (#6 outside). (Keeneland Photo)
Presented by Keeneland Sales finish was three-horse photo
Keeneland Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – May Day Ready split horses in midstretch and got up in the final jump to nip Totally Justified by a nose to win the Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales. Favored Destino d’Oro was another nose back in third.
Trained by Joe Lee and ridden by Frankie Dettori, May Day Ready completed the mile and a sixteenth over the firm turf course in 1:44.10. The victory was Lee’s first at Keeneland.
Shezafunkydrummer led the field of 11 through fractions of :23.06, :48.41 and 1:13.11 with Totally Justified in closest pursuit. At the head of the stretch, Totally Justified took over and opened a daylight margin that carried into deep stretch.
May Day Ready got clear running at the eighth pole and closed on the outside of Totally Justified while Destino d’Oro was rallying widest of all after being squeezed at the start and racing near the back of the pack until the top of the stretch.
The victory, the third in three starts for May Day Ready, was worth $200,725 and increased her earnings to $844,025. May Day Ready is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Tapit out of the More Than Ready mare Nemoralia.
May Day Ready returned $10.80, $5.56 and $2.96. Totally Justified, ridden by Manny Franco, returned $6.26 and $3.82 with Destino d’Oro returning $2.62 to show under Flavien Prat.
It was another 2½ lengths back to Mechaya, who was followed in order by Italian Soiree, Shezafunkydrummer, Sashay Away, Ballerina d’Oro, Somethinabouther, Miss Lonelle and Give Life.
Quotes from the $350,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales
Joe Lee (trainer of winner May Day Ready) On scoring his first win at Keeneland: “It’s great. Look at everybody there (crowd with owner KatieRich Stables); they’re so happy and delighted. I’ve been around some nice horses over the years and getting horses to (the winner’s circle), whether with Godolphin or whoever it was, but it’s great to see everybody else get to enjoy races like this, so I’m happy for them.”
On how hard it is for a young filly to be between horses but stay in and compete: “Even if you watch the race at Kentucky Downs (Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies-L on Sept. 8), she kind of got squeezed when they got to the bottom over there, and Frankie (Dettori) just held his position. She has a lot of heart, I’ve gotta say. Even her first race (maiden special weight at Saratoga Aug. 4), her moves down the backside and around the turn, and then she was fortunate to hold off Brendan (Walsh’s) horse (Love Tempo) coming on at the end (to win by a nose). So, she’s definitely talented, and she’s the reason why I’m standing here. She just has a lot of ability. I’m just going to try to stay out of her way.”
Frankie Dettori (winning rider): “She was superb and (trainer) Joe (Lee) has done a tremendous job. She’s a very talented filly. She had to do it the hard way; she got a bit restless in the gate and a bit keen in the first turn. I had to go the ‘brave man route’; the gaps were a lot smaller than I anticipated, but she skipped through it. To honest with you, I thought Flavien (Prat on Destino d’Oro) beat me on the line, so I was a little bit frustrated, but it all came out. I’m super delighted. She’s almost gone over the $1 million barrier in three runs. What superb job Joe has done.
Even if she would have got beaten today in the photograph, I would have loved to ride her in the (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile) Fillies Turf (G1) at Del Mar. But now we don’t have to worry about it, because she’s in and we are going. A crowbar couldn’t get me (off her as his mount in the Breeders’ Cup race).”
Manny Franco (rider of runner-up Totally Justified): “I had a beautiful trip. At the end, my filly (Totally Justified) kind of made the lead; she got lost completely. We just got beat, but I’m very happy with her.”
Flavien Prat (rider of third-place finisher and beaten favorite Destino d’Oro): “It was a challenging trip. After (a rough start), she regrouped and she made a good run.”
Racing continues Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET with an 11-race program that features five graded stakes, three of them Grade 1s and including the richest race in Keeneland history, the $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile (G1).
