Emollient Meets Talented Group in Spinster
Juddmonte Farms’ Emollient, whose only race on Polytrack at Keeneland resulted in a nine-length victory in this spring’s Central Bank Ashland (G1), headlines a field 11 fillies and mares entered Thursday for Sunday’s 58th running of the $500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1).
Scheduled as the eighth race on Sunday’s nine-program, the Juddmonte Spinster is run at 1-1/8 miles on the main track and is a “Win and You’re In” race for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) to be run Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. Post time for the Juddmonte Spinster is 4:49 p.m. (ET).
Trained by Bill Mott, who won the 2009 Juddmonte Spinster with Mushka, Emollient will attempt to become only the fourth winner of the Ashland to come back in the fall of the same year to win the Spinster. The other three were Doubledogdare (1956), Optimistic Gal (1976) and Take Charge Lady (2002).
Mike Smith, who has ridden Emollient in her past four races and was aboard for the Central Bank Ashland victory, has the call on Sunday and will break from post position five. Smith won the 1995 Spinster on Inside Information.
Emollient is the lone 3-year-old in the field and will carry 121 pounds, three fewer than her rivals.
Two other Grade 1 winner are in the field: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Byrama (GB) and Anita Cauley’s On Fire Baby.
Trained by Simon Callaghan, Byrama won the Vanity Handicap at Betfair Hollywood Park in June. In her lone Keeneland appearance, she was a fast-closing second in the seven-furlong Madison (G1) this spring.
Rosie Napravnik will ride Byrama and break from post position six.
On Fire Baby won the Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park this spring for trainer Gary Hartlage. She has raced once at Keeneland, finishing fifth in her second career start in the 2011 Darley Alcibiades (G1) after breaking from post position 13. Regular rider Joe Johnson will be aboard Sunday and break from post position 11.
The field for the Juddmonte Spinster, from the rail out, is as follows: Open Water (James Graham, 124 pounds), Hard to Resist (Corey Lanerie, 124), Sisterly Love (Eurico Da Silva, 124), Closing Range (Jon Court, 124), Emollient (Smith, 121), Byrama (GB) (Napravnik, 124), Wine Princess (Shaun Bridgmohan, 124), Sisterhood (Julio Garcia, 124), Summer Applause (John Velazquez, 124), Hard Not to Like (Robby Albarado, 124) and On Fire Baby (Johnson, 124).