Jenny Wiley Stakes 2014 Contenders & Odds

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes comes our way this Saturday, April 12 from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be featured as they go 1 1/16 miles on Keeneland’s turf track searching for the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse.

The Jenny Wiley Stakes has attracted a large field of 10 older females to go in race 10 on Keeneland’s Saturday card. Post time is 5:13 PM. Let’s take a look into the past performances of all 10 entries for this Grade 1 stakes.

Centre Court – defending champion in this race was last seen repeating in the Grade 2 Honey Fox at Gulfstream after running eighth in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes at Saratoga in August after which she was forced into a seven month layoff. She has six graded stakes wins but had a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes behind Laughing July 27 after a fourth in the Just a Game Stakes after getting caught in traffic June 8 – both results before the Ballston Spa. Before her recent three race slump was a three race win streak – the 2013 Jenny Wiley April 13, the 2013 Honey Fox and the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs four months earlier. She has seven wins and four seconds in 15 career starts and looks to repeat in this race just like she did last time out. Julien Leparoux has the mount from gate 10.

Stephanie’s Kitten – had a very productive Juvenile campaign in which she won or placed in all five starts (three wins and two third place finishes). Among Stephanie’s Kitten’s impressive wins are the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes. Stephanie’s Kitten was a leading Juvenile filly on dirt and turf in 2011 and looked OK in 2012 as well – wins in the Grade 1 Lake Placid Stakes and the minor Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs in May. She ended her 2012 campaign with a disappointing sixth in the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup and then took 6 1/2 months off. She had just three starts in 2013 – a great win in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile over Hungry Island, another impressive score in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 8 and a third last time out – way back in July in the Grade 1 Dania Beach Stakes at Saratoga. She hasn’t been seen in eight months but looked terrific before her most recent layoff. John Velazquez rides from post 2.

Discreet Marq – Christophe Clemente pupil has been terrific the last year – she hasn’t finished worse than second in her last seven starts (four wins and three seconds). Last time out was a second by a nose in the Grade 1 Matriarch at Hollywood Park December 1 after a win in the listed Pebbles Stakes in October, a second in the Grade 1 Garden City in September and a nice win in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in October. She also won the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes in May and the listed Eventail Stakes in July. Discreet Marq hits the track for the first time in four months Saturday looking to build on her impressive run. Irad Ortiz has the call from post 8.

Kitten’s Point – H. Graham Motion trained filly has hit the board in seven of her eight career starts – the only time she didn’t was a twelfth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2012. A win on this track last March in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes was her career highlight. She has just three starts since – a third in the Grade 1 Ashand Stakes last April was followed by a 10 month layoff and an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream February 8. Last time out was a good second behind Centre Court in the Grade 2 Honey Fox Stakes March 15 at Gulfstream. She has won two of her has four starts with a second and a third – competitive every time out. She leaves from the rail with Edgar Prado aboard.

Emotional Kitten – Wesley Ward trained filly made her graded stakes debut with a very respectable second behind Emollient in the highly competitive Grade 1 American Oaks July 13 and followed that with a third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks August 17. Last time out was a decent second in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes March 16 at Santa Anita after her true breakthrough – a win in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs November 16 which followed a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October. Emotional Kitten has placed in eight of her last nine starts with four with four wins and a second over that span – the lone poor performance coming three back. She has been ultra-competitive the last 16 months and more of the same is expected Saturday. Victor Espinoza has the mount from post 3.

Jenny Wiley Stakes betting at Keeneland Race Course with OffTrackBetting.com

Abaco – Shug McGaughey trained mare really came on toward the end of 2013 with a win in the Grade 3 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs November 9 after a second in the Grade 3 Athenia Stakes October 12 and another second in the minor Lady Baltimore Stakes in September. She had a bit of a stumble to start her 2014 campaign – a fourth in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream January 4 but most recently finished third in the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes on that same track February 8. Abaco also had a nice four race win streak (no stakes) at the end of 2012 as well. She has five wins, seven seconds and three third place finishes in 20 career starts and is expected to be competitive as usual Saturday. Jose Lezcano rides from gate 4.

Class Included – has hit the money in 21 of 25 career starts including 13 wins, seven seconds and a third place finish. She enters this having won three of her last four starts – last time out was in the listed Bayou Handicap at Fair Grounds February 22, to go along with the Blushing K.D. Handicap December 21 at Fair Grounds and by six length score in the Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs November 23. Sandwiched in there was an OK third in the Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston January 25. She won the Grade 3 Ballerina Stakes at Hastings in October 2012 but has failed to place in four graded stakes starts since. Class Included looks to parlay some of her listed stakes success into graded stakes success Saturday. Shaun Bridgmohan gets the call from post 5.

Hard Not to Like – won the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream January 5, 2013 and has been inconsistent since. She won an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream February 28 of this year after a seventh in the Juddmonte Spinster on this track in October and had a decent third in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga August 24. Other results last year include a sixth in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at Woodbine July 7, a good second in the Grade 3 Gallorette May 18 and an ugly eighth in the 2013 Jenny Wiley. She has been up and down in her career and if the pattern holds true Hard Not to Like is due for a poor performance. She departs from gate 9 with Javier Castellano aboard.

Fitful Skies – Irish bred filly raced in North America for the first time in October and finished a good second in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine – the last time she was on the track. Before that was a nice win in the group 1 Grosser Preis von German Tote Herbst Stutenpreis at Hannover September 29 and a second in the group 3 T. von Zastrow Baden Racing Stutenpreis at Baden Baden August 31. She has four wins and five seconds in 11 career starts and had three wins and four seconds in eight starts last year. Joe Rocco gets the call from gate 6.

Cloud Scapes – H. Graham Motion trainee has nine career starts with four wins and three second place finishes and enters this weekend on a nice three race win streak – the Grade 3 Hillsborough last time out at Tampa Bay March 8 followed a win in the Grade 3 Endeavor Stakes on that same track January 25 and an Allowance score also at Tampa Bay in December. She has one start at Keeneland – a second in an Allowance in October. Alan Garcia will be in the saddle post 7.

Race 10 on Keeneland Race Course’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:13 PM.