Jaywalk’s camp pauses, passing on the Breeders’ Cup

Jaywalk, who attended a torrid pace in last Saturday’s Cotillion Stakes (G1) before fading to seventh, 14 3/4 lengths behind winning Street Band, has no immediate plans ahead of her.

Chuck Zacney, whose Cash is King campaigns the reigning champion 2-year-old filly along with D.J. Stable, said this week that “there’s certainly no Breeders’ Cup in our future with her.”

So continued a season of ups and downs — mostly the latter — for the flashy gray who dominated last season, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. The Breeders' Cup Distaff, run Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park, would have meant a cross-country ship off consecutive losses.

Jaywalk went from a nine-length win in the July 6 Delaware Park Oaks (G3) to a narrow defeat to Horologist in the Aug. 17 Monmouth Oaks (G3). Horologist ran a respectable third in the Cotillion.

“She was training really well going into it,” Zacney said of Jaywalk, “and we were certainly expecting a little bit more than that. At this point, we’re just giving her time, and we’ll figure out the next race down the road.”

Jaywalk, a daughter of Cross Traffic, has remained with trainer John Servis since the Cotillion.

Asked of potential retirement for a filly many have speculated didn’t progress from age 2 to 3, Zacney said, “We’re going to figure it out over the next few weeks as far as what direction to go.”

From the outside post, Jaywalk rushed up to establish position into the first turn at Parx Racing. She went so fast, she ran right past the speedy Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress to go a quarter mile in 22.30 seconds and half in 46.10.

“They really went too quick early,” Zacney said, with Jaywalk coming up empty through the far turn of the 1 1/16-mile race.

“We certainly still love her and have a lot of confidence in her,” Zacney added. “We’ve got to basically figure it out. We’re going to take a step back and give her a little bit of time. She is a little tired. She did have a tough campaign.”