Deuce Greathouse's Towhead is among the most experienced entrants with stakes credentials in a full field of 12 set for the Oct. 7 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland and, oddly, she's a winner without a win in her record.
The 2-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon comes into the 1 1/16-mile turf race off a head-bob loss in the Aristocrat Gaming Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs Sept. 3, where she missed by a nose to Chop Chop, who is entered in the Darley Alicibiades Stakes (G1) on the same card. Nine lengths separated Towhead from the rest of the Juvenile Fillies field.
The Jessamine is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Race that provides the winner a fees-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Two Jessamine winners have come back to win the Juvenile Fillies Turf: Aunt Pearl in 2020 and Rushing Fall in 2017.
Towhead did cross the wire first in a July 24 maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course but didn't get the win because the race was declared a "no contest" by the stewards after an initial delay in moving the starting gate.
Despite not officially breaking her maiden, Towhead brings a lot of racing experience into the Jessamine. She has made five starts since May 26 and has been second twice and third twice officially. R. T. Racing Stable's Stephanie's Charm is the only other Jessamine starter who has made as many starts and also is stakes-placed.
Trained by Mike Maker, Towhead has made her most recent three starts on turf and will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who has been aboard for three of her starts. The filly comes from a decidedly dirt family that includes Norfolk Stakes (G1) winner Creative Cause , Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) winner Vexatious, and Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Destin, but Malibu Moon has shown diversity, having sired 19 stakes winners on turf. Malibu Moon's top turf performer by earnings is Moon Over Miami, who won the Gun Runner Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs and placed in the Pan American Stakes Presented by Rood and Riddle (G2T) and the Man o' War Stakes (G1T). Like Towhead, Moon Over Miami is out of a Smart Strike mare.
C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms' Blind Spot is the sole stakes winner in the field, coming into the Jessamine off a three-quarter-length win Sept. 17 in the Our Dear Page Stakes on the all-weather track at Gulfstream Park. Blind Spot is a daughter of Cross Traffic who ran second in her debut and followed with two wins for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The Jessamine will be her first start on grass.
Augustin Stable's Delight, a daughter of Mendelssohn who was purchased for $400,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, comes into the Jessamine off a 2 1/4-length win in a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on the turf at Delaware Park. Her three career starts have all been on the grass, with a third in her debut at Keeneland April 29 and a third in her next start going 1 1/16 miles at Saratoga. She is trained by Jonathan Thomas and will be ridden by Luis Saez.
The Jessamine field includes four also-eligibles.
Keeneland, Friday, October 7, 2022, Race 8Entries: JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sabalenka (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 D. Whitworth Beckman 10/1 2 2C C Cruise Control (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Kenneth G. McPeek 20/1 3 3Delight (FL) Luis Saez 118 Jonathan Thomas 4/1 4 4Promise of Hope (KY) Edgar Morales 118 Thomas M. Amoss 6/1 5 5Blind Spot (MD) Edgard J. Zayas 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 15/1 6 6Happy Gal (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Doug F. O'Neill 5/1 7 7Bling (KY) Rafael Bejarano 118 Victoria H. Oliver 6/1 8 8Dulcia (KY) Joseph Talamo 118 Joe Sharp 15/1 9 9Recognize (NY) Junior Alvarado 118 William I. Mott 10/1 10 10Stephanie's Charm (KY) Inoel Beato 118 Jose M. Jimenez 15/1 11 11Knockyoursocksoff (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Chris M. Block 30/1 12 12Towhead (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 Michael J. Maker 9/2 13 13Tax Implications (GB) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 118 Chad C. Brown 4/1 14 14Southlawn (KY) Joseph Talamo 118 Norm W. Casse 20/1 15 15Play the Music (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Mark E. Casse 15/1 16 16Aztec Nights (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 118 Wayne M. Catalano 6/1
