By Alan Carasso
It was a three-way go at the end of 8 1/2 furlongs of Friday's GII Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland, a 'Win and You're In' challenge race for the Nov. 1 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, and when the dust had settled, it was KatieRich Stable LLC's May Day Ready (Tapit) who got her nose down on the wire first over Totally Justified (Justify) to her inner and favored Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro) to her outside.
Snatched up just after the break, May Day Ready was tough to handle passing the stands for the first time and settled in the latter third of the field through the early exchanges before securing a midfield berth down the backstretch as Shezafunkydrummer (Maclean's Music) set the pace from off the inside.
Scrubbed on vigorously by Frankie Dettori leaving the three-eighths pole, May Day Ready made steady–if not eye-catching or especially willing progress–into the lane, but snuck through between rivals to reach contention in upper stretch. Broadsided to her inside and knocked off balance by Mechaya (Liam's Map) at the furlong grounds, May Day Ready nevertheless plugged on gamely and was shoved across the line first while tightly between rivals.
Totally Justified capitalized on a perfect box-seat run in transit to hit the front three-sixteenths out, but she looked to pull herself up a bit thereafter, causing Mechaya to steady behind her. Destino d'Oro, also bothered significantly at the break and last to make the first turn, was widest into the lane after covering ground on the final bend, lugged in and finished well once re-balanced. Another stride or two and the race was hers, but she ultimately lost a photo for second, a victim of her wayward ways. A claim of foul by the connections of Mechaya was ultimately disallowed.
“She had to do it the hard way,” said Dettori. “She got a bit restless in the gate and a bit keen in the first turn. I had to go the 'brave man route'; the gaps were a lot smaller than I anticipated, but she skipped through it.”
Dettori is the only rider May Day Ready has known in her brief career, a 25-1 upset of a Saratoga maiden Aug. 4 ahead of a victory in the valuable Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Sept. 8. Coincidentally, Dettori rode the winner's dam five times for three wins and a second, including a six-length victory in listed company at York on her sophomore debut in 2016. Nemoralia made two starts in this country with Joel Rosario, a runner-up effort in the GI Frizette S. ahead of a close third to Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.
It was a first Keeneland winner of any variety for trainer Joseph Lee.
“It's great,” the trainer said. “Look at everybody there (crowd with owner KatieRich Stables); they're so happy and delighted. I've been around some nice horses over the years and getting horses to (the winner's circle), whether with Godolphin or whoever it was, but it's great to see everybody else get to enjoy races like this, so I'm happy for them.”
Pedigree Notes:
May Day Ready is the 106th worldwide graded/group winner for her all-conquering sire and she is the 84th winner at the group/graded level out of a daughter of the much-missed More Than Ready.
A $170,000 OBS March breezer, Nemoralia was trained by Jeremy Noseda to four wins from 12 starts overall, including a marquee success against older open rivals in the seven-furlong G3 City of York Stakes in 2016 two starts after finishing runner-up in the G1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. Fourth in that year's GI First Lady Stakes, Nemoralia remained in training into her 4-year-old campaign for Peter Brant and Joe Allen, but did not make another racetrack appearance.
The dam of the unraced 3-year-old filly Cafe Martinique (Medaglia d'Oro), Nemoralia was bought back on a bid of $290,000 at Keeneland November in 2022 and produced a Munnings filly in Ireland last year for White Birch. The mare sold to Poonawalla Astonish Stud for 100,000gns in foal to Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Friday, Keeneland
JESSAMINE S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GII, $350,000, Keeneland, 10-4, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.10, fm.
1–MAY DAY READY, 120, f, 2, by Tapit
1st Dam: Nemoralia (GSW & G1SP-Eng, MGISP-USA,
$544,633), by More Than Ready
2nd Dam: Alina, by Came Home
3rd Dam: Lady Heroine, by Sea Hero
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($60,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT; $325,000
2yo '24 OBSAPR). O-KatieRich Stables LLC; B-White Birch Farm,
Inc. (KY); T-Joseph R. Lee; J-Lanfranco Dettori. $200,725.
Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $844,025. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Totally Justified, 120, f, 2, Justify–Outstanding (Ire), by
Galileo (Ire). 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($285,000 Ylg '23
KEESEP). O-Bregman Family Racing LLC; B-Orpendale/
Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II. $64,750.
3–Destino d'Oro, 118, f, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Heart of Destiny, by Lion
Heart. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000
Wlg '22 KEENOV; $25,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $185,000 2yo '24
OBSAPR). O-Steve Landers Racing LLC; B-Hurstland Farm, Inc.
& James H. Greene Jr. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $32,375.
Margins: NO, NO, 2HF. Odds: 4.40, 5.69, 1.77.
Also Ran: Mechaya, Italian Soiree, Shezafunkydrummer, Sashay Away, Ballerina d'Oro, Somethinabouther, Miss Lonelle, Give Life. Scratched: Correto, Daisy Flyer, Isle of Capri, She's Got Will, Virgin Colada. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#8 MAY DAY READY ($10.80) gets her nose down on the wire first in a thrilling edition of the $350,000 Jessamine Stakes (G2) at @Keeneland. She is in the @BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf!
The Tapit (@Gainesway) filly was ridden by @FrankieDettori for trainer Joseph Lee. pic.twitter.com/zNKoFPYzVM
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 4, 2024
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