COOLMORE JENNY

WILEY STAKES (GRADE 1)

IRISH-bred Sistercharlie overcame a nine-month layoff to take the Grade 1 Coolmore Jenny Wiley at Keeneland last Saturday. Bred by Ecurie Des Monceaux, owned by Peter Brant and trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Myboycharlie led stablemates Fourstar Crook and Irish-bred Off Limits for a Brown-fecta in the turf stakes. John Velazquez guided the five-year-old mare.

Bred in Ireland and raced in France, Sistercharlie ventured to Belmont Park for the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational last summer, finishing second to New Money Honey in the 10-furlong stakes. Placed on the shelf since that performance, the four-year-old filly returned with a flourish to stamp herself as a major player in the female turf division this year.

“After her race last year, she got really sick on us. We have a great team of veterinarians that worked on her. She had a lung infection that turned real bad,” Brown said. “We rested her and Peter Brant was very, very patient to give her all that time. You bring your best ones to Keeneland or you won’t have any luck here.”

My Boy Jack rallied from the back to win the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland for brothers Keith and Kent Desormeaux. My Boy Jack, sent off favorite, collared Telekinesis late to win by a head. Owned by Don’t Tell My Wife Stable and Monomoy Stable, the son of Creative Cause punched his ticket to the Derby.

On the same card, Royal Ascot winner Lady Aurelia finished second on her 2018 debut, reaching the lead but succumbing late to Triple Chelsea in the Giant’s Causeway Stakes.

MAKER’S 46 MILE

STAKES (GRADE 1)

GALLANT frontrunner Heart To Heart deservedly earned his first win in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark 46 Mile at Keenelend yesterday week. The seven-year-veteran led every step to earn his first win in Keeneland’s signature turf stakes after finishing second in the past two renewals of the mile contest.

“He’s been banging heads in that race for the last three years, ran two very game races in 2016 and 2017, so that was really cool to get it done. He can finally put his name beside that one,” Lynch said of the $1.9 million earner.

“When he straightened for the run down the lane and he opened up a few lengths, I could see there was no one running behind him and it was his day.”