Cassatt Leads Full Field in Sam Houston's Jersey Lilly Stakes
Cassatt owned by Fox Hill Farms, Inc. and Hill 'n Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. captured the 2015 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park. She returned last month to defend her title in the richest Thoroughbred race in Texas, finishing third in the mile and one-sixteenth main track stakes.
Trainer Larry Jones had been wanting to try the 5-year-old daughter of Tapit on the turf, and she will break from the far outside post with Florent Geroux as the 7-2 choice.
"She has a very nice turf pedigree," said Jones. "We've never had an opportunity to try her on the grass. I've always said that Sam Houston Race Park has one of the nicest turf courses in the country. If she doesn't like it there, I'll just have to assume she won't like it anywhere."
The $50,000 Jersey Lilly drew a full field of 12, and Jones is hoping that Cassatt, who has a noted front running style, can fly from the gate and get to the lead.
"She and Florent will have to work that out," he added.
Breaking to her inside will be Columbine Stable LLC's homebred Treaty Oak, a 5-year-old War Chant mare, trained by Al Stall, Jr. Winner of four of her 18 career starts, Treaty Oak ran fifth in the Marie Krantz Memorial at Fair Grounds last month, before rallying for a victory in an allowance optional claimer on February 11. Miguel Mena is the regular rider of the bay mare, and will make the trip from Fair Grounds.
"It's taken her a while this year to get into form," said Stall. "Last race was a good one for her; she got a firm turf course, and it set up for her to make one run."
Trainer Mike Maker has won the Jersey Lilly three times, all with progeny of Kitten's Joy for Sarah and Kenneth Ramsey. Last year, his winner was Kitten's Queen; in 2014 he won with Always Kitten and captured the 2013 edition of the turf stakes with Artemus Kitten.
This year, Maker will double his chances with Asperites(IRE), a 6-year-old daughter of Danehill Dancer, owned by the Ramseys and the 4-year-old English Channel filly Susie Bee, owned by Calumet Farm.
"Asperites needed to be covered up in her last," said Maker. "She'll figure with a better trip. Susie Bee was in against tough company at Gulfstream Park. She was outrun in her last stakes; we wanted to find a softer spot for her."
The Jersey Lilly is not lacking for stakes-level competition with Rose Mary Chandler's I Am Jane Dough and Loyana Pollok's Expect Royaltyboth multiple-turf stakes winners at Sam Houston Race Park.
The Jersey Lilly will run as the sixth race on the card, which gets underway at 6:15 p.m.