Less than a month ago, Serenas Ghost had not made a start.
On Oct. 2, just three weeks after her winning debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis, the daughter of Girvin registered a clear victory in the $388,250 Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland.
The win ensures a few more exciting weeks for the connections of Serenas Ghost, a homebred for Barry and Joni Butzow, as she lands a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) with the 1 1/4-length win.
While Serenas Ghost didn't make her debut until posting a clear victory Sept. 11 in a maiden special weight race going a mile on the turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis, trainer Joe Sharp at least had a good idea of the quality of the horse he had in the barn. Sharp trained Serenas Ghost's dam Sirenusa, by Tiznow, a two-time stakes winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Canterbury Park; as well as her sire, the late 2017 Louisiana Derby (G2) and Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Girvin.
"She's a special filly to us with that pedigree," Sharp said. "She's just really been one of those horses that just continued to impress us in the mornings. She ran impressively first time out around two turns, and then all her energy since then has just been very forward.
"Since coming over to Keeneland a few days ago, the way she's trained here has given us a lot of confidence that she would run her best effort. To see her what she did today, we're very pleasantly surprised and pleasantly pleased with the outcome."
The Jessamine is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In race, awarding an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf four weeks from Friday's race. Sharp said Serenas Ghost will be pointed to that mile race on the same course as the Jessamine.
In Friday's test, Holy Cow Stable's Seneca Park, off her Aug. 30 Untapable Stakes win at Kentucky Downs, seized the lead early and led through a half-mile in :48.65. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and Seneca Park took that advantage into the stretch, but Serenas Ghost, who had stayed close throughout, launched her move midstretch and, after dueling with the early leader for a few strides, punched through along the rail to seize the win.
With Luis Saez up, Serenas Ghost completed the 1 1/16-mile test for 2-year-old fillies in 1:45.57 on turf rated as good. Seneca Park held second, a length in front of third-place Mel Went Home. Saez said the stretch rally brought some anxious moments before he moved his filly inside.
"I had my position in the clear and tried to make my move right there, but the horse in the lead came out and I almost clipped heels, so I had to check and come to the rail," Saez said. "She responded after that."
Longshot Serenas Ghost returned $47.44, $19.72, and $12.68 across the board.
Serenas Ghost is the eighth stakes winner and first graded stakes winner this season for Girvin, who died in August at Airdrie Stud. Sharp noted Girvin's untimely passing made Friday's win extra special.
READ: 'Absolute Gift' Girvin Dies Suddenly at Airdrie Stud
Dallas Stewart, trainer of Seneca Park, said the daughter of Golden Pal also would be pointed to the Breeders' Cup.
Sharp thought from the start of her career that Serenas Ghost would favor turf.
"She had been working well on the synthetic and her mother was all grass," Sharp said. "We thought Indiana made sense for the first time out. I've watched some other guys do that move over the years. I know the purse structure is not great up there, but to be able to get them two-turn experience to set them up for a situation like this makes it all OK."
