Breeders' Cup winner Jaywalk to take familiar path to Kentucky Oaks

Trainer John Servis reported Saturday morning that Jaywalk exited her front-running triumph in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs in fine order.

“She’s great, doing really good,” Servis said. “She’s bright-eyed; she ate up good.”

The daughter of Cross Traffic broke alertly from the starting gate to grab an early and never relinquished in her first start around two turns, going on to a 5 ½-length victory under Joel Rosario.

"It was awful impressive," Servis said. "She’s got such a fast cruising speed."

Jaywalk is scheduled to fly to West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sunday.

“She’ll stay at Palm Meadows (Training Center) for a week or so and then I think I’m going to send her to Ocala for 30 days and let her be a horse for a little bit.” Servis said.

With next year’s Kentucky Oaks the first major goal, Servis said Jaywalk could take a similar path to the one taken by 2016 Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia, who won the Forward Gal and Davona Dale stakes at Gulfstream Park before finishing third in the Ashland at Keeneland.

Jaywalk ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.62, which compared favorably to Game Winner’s winning time of 1:43.67 in the Juvenile two races later on Friday’s card.

“They came home good. They ran the last sixteenth in 6-and-2 (seconds), something like that,” Servis said.

Servis has had amazing success at Churchill Downs in limited opportunities, winning with his only Kentucky Derby starter, Smarty Jones (2004), and his only Kentucky Oaks starter, Cathryn Sophia. 

“How can you not love it? I come in here and they treat me well here. My horses run well here,” Servis said.

Jaywalk was his second Breeders’ Cup starter, following Jostle, who finished ninth in the 2000 Distaff at Churchill.

“I shouldn’t have run her. I should have scratched her. She just wasn’t right. She wasn’t eating up,” Servis said. “She didn’t have a temperature, but she wasn’t herself.”