La Coronel makes it look easy in Jessamine
John Oxley’s La Coronel swept past Lull at midstretch and drew off to a 4¼-length victory in the 26th running of the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) for 2-year-old fillies before a Wednesday afternoon crowd of 11,130.
Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Florent Geroux, La Coronel covered the 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course in 1:43.37 and earned a berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) to be run Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.
It marked the third consecutive stakes victory for Geroux, who swept the Sunday stakes on I’m a Chatterbox in the Juddmonte Spinster (G1) and Keep Quiet (FR) in the Dixiana Bourbon (G3).
La Coronel, a Keeneland sale graduate, also gave Casse his third “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup qualifier, joining Keep Quiet and Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Classic Empire, also owned by Oxley.
Longshot Divine Humor led the field of 12 through fractions of :22.89 and :47.37 with Lull tracking in second with La Coronel just behind racing along the rail. Lull took over going into the far turn with La Coronel also taking up the chase while moving off the rail and taking over at midstretch.
The victory was worth $90,000 and increased La Coronel’s earnings to $144,615 with a record of 4-2-0-0 with both wins coming in two starts on the grass.
La Coronel is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Colonel John out of the Chester House mare Listen.
Sent off as the favorite, La Coronel returned $5.80, $4.20 and $3. Lull, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., returned $5.40 and $4.80 and finished 1¾ lengths in front of Rum Go who paid $17.40 to show under James Graham.
Sweeping Paddy finished another 1½ lengths back in fourth and was followed in order by Majestic Bonnie, Liberale (FR), Tapa Tapa Tapa, Lipstick City, Majestic Gale, Wicked Lick, Zero Zee and Divine Humor.
Racing resumes Thursday with a nine-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. ET.
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Tomorrow is Make-A-Wish-Day for which local Thoroughbred farms and organizations have teamed up with Keeneland to grant wishes for deserving children. Click here to meet them. They will present the trophies to the winning connections after each race. Participating farms and organizations are Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Ashford Stud, Shadwell Farm, Darley, Gainesway Farm, Shawnee Farm, Flaxman Holdings and Lane’s End.
Keeneland fans will have the opportunity to help make even more wishes come true by placing a donation into the “Wishing Well,” which will be set up adjacent to the Paddock.
Source: Keeneland Association