LEXINGTON, Ky. – Peter Brant’s Regal Glory surged by longtime leader Navratilova at the three-sixteenths pole and then held off stablemate Shantisara (IRE) by a length to win the 34th running of $500,000 Jenny Wiley (G1) for fillies and mares Saturday afternoon.
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On a day that featured three stakes, Keeneland realized record Pick 4 and Pick 5 wagering. The Pick 4 handled a record $1,357,298, eclipsing the previous mark of $1,065,002 set on Toyota Blue Grass Day in 2018. The Pick 5 handled a record $1,539,098 to surpass the $1,485,090 established on Toyota Blue Grass Day in 2021.
In addition, all-sources wagering for today’s 11-race card totaled $27,304,001 to be the second- highest single-day handle in Keeneland history. The record single-day handle of $28,137,728 was set during last Saturday’s Toyota Blue Grass Day.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Regal Glory completed the mile and a sixteenth of the Jenny Wiley on a turf course labeled as good in 1:40.97. The victory is the fifth in the race for Brown, who previously won with Ball Dancing in 2015, Sistercharlie (IRE) in 2018 and Rushing Fall in 2019 and 2020.
Navratilova was first out of the gate with Regal Glory and Shantisara chasing right behind her while Lady Speightspeare trailed the field after lunging at the start and spotting the field several lengths.
The top three remained unchanged through fractions of :24.41, :48.14 and 1:11.85. Navratilova maintained the lead to the top of the stretch but Regal Glory quickly got her measure and opened up with more than enough left to hold off Shantisara.
A Keeneland sales graduate, Regal Glory is a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom out of the More Than Ready mare Mary’s Follies.
The Jenny Wiley marked the second Grade 1 victory and 10th stakes victory overall for Regal Glory, who improved her record to 18-11-4-0 and increased her earnings to $1,836,009 with Saturday’s $306,125 check.
Regal Glory returned $4, $2.20 and $2.10. Shantisara, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $2.40 and $2.10 with Lady Speightspeare rallying to finish another 63⁄4 lengths back in third under Luis Saez and paying $2.60 to show.
Scarabea finished another neck back in fourth and was followed in order by Navratilova and Waliyak (FR).
Keeneland will be closed for racing tomorrow, Easter Sunday. Racing resumes Wednesday with an eight-race program that begins at 1 p.m. ET.
Here is what some of the connections had to say after the race:
Jose Ortiz (winning rider of Regal Glory)
“She’s easy to ride. She’s a little funny with her mouth, but I just let her be alone and let her be her. I don’t try to put her forward all the time, don’t fight her. I think we’ve got her figured out now with the help of (trainer) Chad (Brown). He has her in great form. I think she’s the best mare in the division right now, and we’ll try to keep winning, hopefully.
“She’s getting older, and she’s had a lot of seasoning. She loves this kind of ground, and Chad has done an amazing job. He’s been patient with her, and she’s really nice.”
Chad Brown (winning trainer, who also conditions runner-up Shantisara [IRE])
“I’m a lucky guy with owners like Mr. (Peter) Brant and plenty before him that have sent me a lot of nice fillies, and I had a great teacher (the late Hall of Famer trainer Bobby Frankel). I just read yesterday I’m tied with Bobby’s record (with four wins in the Jenny Wiley; today Brown won the race for the fifth time), and I was thinking of him walking down here. I spent a few Jenny Wileys in the Paddock with him when I was working for him and he taught me a lot. Luckily, I’ve had the horses and the team to work with these horses.
“Jose (Ortiz) was being very modest there (saying she’s easy to ride). She’s a tricky horse to ride, and he deserves a lot of credit. He showed her versatility. He’s adapted to a lot of situations out of the gate with her.
“I especially want to thank Mr. Brant for not only stepping up and buying her here at Keeneland (at the 2021 January Horses of All Ages Sale for $925,000) out of the dispersal for (breeder) Mr. (Paul) Pompa, another dear friend and client of ours. It was (Brant’s) call to keep her in training this year. I probably would have bred her, and he said, ‘No, she’s in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year,’ and so far he’s right.
“She’s extremely competitive. She knows where that wire is, and with Shantisara (IRE) – that’s a real horse running at her. For (Regal Glory) to hold her off and to show she can get a mile and a sixteenth twice now. It looks like she could even go a little bit farther.”
Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Lady Speightspeare)
“She broke a little bit up (in the air). Right at the start, she tried to move too much. After that, she ran her race. I know the winner and the second were really good, but she was trying and finished third and ran a great race.”
Roger Attfield (trainer of Lady Speightspeare)
“She has been absolutely golden with the (calming) blanket on (in the starting gate.) Until today. The blanket came off (as intended), but she reared up with the blanket on. The blanket had kept her from rearing in her other races. Why I don’t know – she schools every week with it on. The rearing certainly did not help her chances, but we are pleased she got up to be third.”
Keeneland Press Release
Photo: Coady Photography, Keeneland, Regal Glory wins the Jenny Wiley
