Averly Jane Splashes Home in Kentucky Juvenile
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Photo: Coady Photography
Averly Jane wins the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs
Hat Creek Racing's Averly Jane roared past pacesetting Bohemian Frost at the sixteenth pole en route to a 3 1/4-length victory in the $150,000 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes April 28 at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, the winning Midshipman filly covered the five furlongs in :58.64 over a sloppy main track.
"I spoke to Wesley. She's a naturally fast filly, most of his horses are," Gaffalione said after the race. "She jumped out well, but she just got out-sprinted for the lead. We didn't want to get into a speed duel. I was able to get to the outside. When my filly hit the lane, she gave me everything she had."
The victory is the third in the race for Ward, who also won with fillies Silvertoni in 2016 and Aegean in 2009.
Bohemian Frost shot to the front out of the gate and set fractions of :21.84 and :45.34 through a half-mile. Averly Jane tracked in second, and Gaffalione sent her after the leader at the head of the stretch and then drew clear at the sixteenth pole.
"Nothing to it; she was training good, she was doing good, and she ran good," said Ward's assistant Blake Heap. "Didn't tell the jock a thing; he saw the videos and he knew what to do."
Vodka N Water got up from fourth to edge Bohemian Frost for second by a head. Bohemian Frost held for third, followed by Shesgotattitude, American Bound, Baytown Frosty, and Bode by You.
As the heavy 1-2 favorite, Averly Jane returned $3.00 on a $2 win ticket. She increased her career earnings to $127,140 and is unbeaten in two starts. The bay filly won at first asking by 8 3/4 lengths April 15 at Keeneland when sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs on a main track rated good.
Averly Jane was bred in Kentucky by the University of Kentucky out of the Richter Scale mare Sh Sh Shakin'. She is the third foal and third winner out of her dam, whose first foal was the ill-fated Chattel , a 2-year-old stakes winner at Saratoga Race Course. The last foal reported out of Sh Sh Shakin' is a yearling colt by Brody's Cause .
Hat Creek Racing purchased Averly Jane under the name Newt Dobbs for $35,000 out of the University of Kentucky's Maine Chance Farm consignment to last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale.