Towhead tops overflow field for Jessamine, a BC automatic qualifier

Towhead, who just missed breaking her maiden by a nose in the listed Aristocrat Gaming Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 3, headlines a field of 12 2-year-old fillies plus four also-eligibles entered Tuesday for the 32nd running of the Grade 2, $350,000 Jessamine going 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland turf course.

The Jessamine is a “win and you're in” race, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf to be run at Keeneland Nov. 4. Two Jessamine winners have come back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf: Aunt Pearl in 2020 and Rushing Fall in 2017.

The Jessamine will go as the eighth race Friday with a 4:44 p.m. EDT post time.

Towhead, trained by Mike Maker, has a 4: 0-2-2 record, although she crossed the finish line first at Saratoga July 24 in a race that was declared a no contest because of problems with removing the starting gate from the course. Tyler Gaffalione has the mount Friday and will start from post position 12.

Towhead finished nine lengths in front of third-place runner C C Cruise Control at Kentucky Downs with Knockyoursocksoff another three-quarters of a length back in fourth.

C C Cruise Control, trained by Kenny McPeek, is a maiden winner on grass at Ellis Park. Corey Lanerie retains the mount and will break from post 2.

Knockyoursocksoff won at first asking on the turf at Colonial Downs for trainer Chris Block. Flavien Prat has the mount and will exit post 11.