Safeen, on rail in black blinkers, held off She’s Lookin Lucky for the victory. (Renee Torbit/Coady Media)
Sets course record in the $500,000 Jeff Ruby One Dreamer Stakes
By Mike Kane
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Wearing blinkers for the first time, Safeen led from gate to wire and set a course record Thursday to win the $500,000 Jeff Ruby One Dreamer Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Jockey Luis Saez, given the freedom to decide the tactics by trainer Eddie Kennelly, took command out of the gate and with a well-timed ride had enough left at the end to hold off She’s Lookin Lucky by a head. Immensitude was another length back in third.
Safeen, co-owned by Fergus Galvin and Rebecca Hillen, completed the one mile and 70 yards in 1:37.45. The previous record of 1:37.93 was set by Alms in 2022. The 4-year-old War Front filly, sent off at 12-1, returned $26.68.
Starting in Post 7 in the field of 12, Safeen got away quickly and led the way through fractions of :23.90, 46.72, 1:09.95. She was coming off a pair of off-the-board finishes, a sixth in the Nassau (G2) at Woodbine and a fifth in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Mile Stakes at Ellis Park on Aug. 4.
“The draw at Ellis the last race killed us,” Kenneally said. “We were in the extreme outside and she got carried wide on both turns. Prior to that, her races were all pretty good. Her run in the Mint Julep was quite good. But she got the ground she wanted today. She likes it pretty firm. This adds to her resume. She’s hard-knocking and probably as good as ever.”
Saez did not make any mistakes as he picked up his second win of the day.
“I had a perfect trip. She broke from there running,” Saez said. “She is a pretty nice filly. She always tries. The last time I rode her (the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs on June 24, a third after leading into the stretch) she broke the gate, too, and was pretty comfortable. But the track was pretty soft, and she wasn’t happy. Today we had a firm track, and I knew we had a big chance.”
After watching the way, the track was playing all day, Saez decided to be aggressive to try to control the pace.
“That was the plan, especially here where the speed was holding,” he said. “My plan was to go from there running. Eddie didn’t give me any instructions. He told me to ride her on my own. I saw the other horse (She’s Lookin Lucky) coming but she was giving me more. She was getting tired, but we held on and got lucky.”
Trainer Matt Shirer was satisfied with the performance that She’s Lookin Lucky turned in under Axel Concepcion.
“It was a good run,” he said. “You never quite know, coming here to Kentucky Downs. The jockey did fine, it looked like she was coming, and it looked like she was going to get there. Those last couple jumps, kind of knew she wasn’t going to quite get it. It’s a big race. That was a tough race. It was a restricted stake but there were still good fillies in there. No shame in running second. You never know how they are going to handle it, and I thought she handled it fine. She just couldn’t get there. Maybe next time.”
Kenneally said he might have a look at Keeneland’s Grade 1 First Lady for Safeen’s next start but noted that there are other options. Safeen’s keys to success, he said, are precisely how things unfolded for her in the One Dreamer.
“Firm turf, and she likes to be forwardly placed,” he said. “Her better races she’s been on the lead or close to it. She likes to be up there dictating the pace. She got it today and didn’t have to go too terribly quick early. And she had plenty left to hold that horse off.”
Completing the order of finish were: Papilio (IRE), Neverwalkalone (BRZ), Stir Crazy, Sister Lou Ann, Sun Bee, Anatolian, Bolivie (IRE) and Hidden Connection.
