Regal Glory, Shantisara 1-2 for Brown in Jenny Wiley
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Regal Glory fends off an inside bid from Shantisara to win the Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland
Like fine wine, Peter Brant's Regal Glory has gotten better with age.
Despite talks of retirement for the daughter of Animal Kingdom , Brant decided to keep the filly that "loves racing and training" in the barn of her longtime conditioner Chad Brown for another campaign this year. Four months into 2022, that decision has paid off with Regal Glory cementing her status as the top turf female in the country with a gutsy length victory over stablemate Shantisara in the $479,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) April 16 at Keeneland.
A stakes winner every year since her career began in 2018, Regal Glory has blossomed in her last three efforts, beginning with a flashy frontrunning score in the Matriarch Stakes (G1T) in December, registering her first top-level triumph. Following the Matriarch, Regal Glory ran a much different race in the Jan. 29 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes presented by PEPSI (G3T) at Gulfstream Park, but the end result remained the same. The 6-year-old found herself far back early before blowing by the field with a stirring five-wide move down the stretch that left her 2 1/2-lengths clear of her rivals.
Her pace-pressing performance Saturday was just as effective.
"(Regal Glory is) very versatile that's the best thing about her," said Jose Ortiz, who has been aboard Regal Glory for her last seven starts. "I can sit, I can go to the lead, I can do whatever, and nothing bothers her. I just let her be her. I put my hands down and let her run and just let her be happy. And she's a very nice filly."
WATCH: Regal Glory Wins the Jenny Wiley
On a cloudy Keeneland Saturday afternoon, Regal Glory was hammered down to even-money on the odds board. The blaze-faced chestnut was content to stalk a moderate tempo set by G. Watts Humphrey's homebred Navratilova , a grade 3 winner of this course last fall. Regal Glory, under a snug hold from Ortiz over the "good" rated turf course, loomed off Navratilova's flank down the backstretch behind slow splits of :24.41 and :48.14.
After six furlongs in 1:11.85, Regal Glory and stablemate Shantisara, who had tucked in behind the top two on the rail through most of the journey, commenced their bids and assumed command from a retreating Navratilova. Jockey Flavien Prat angled Shantisara to the inside of Regal Glory as they kicked for home but Regal Glory rebuked the grade 1 winner's threat in the final sixteenth.
"She's a tricky horse to ride, and (Ortiz) deserves a lot of credit," said trainer Chad Brown. "He showed her versatility. He's adapted to a lot of situations out of the gate with her."
Regal Glory ($4.00) raced the 1 1/16-miles in a quick 1:40.97.
"She knows where that wire is, and with Shantisara—that's a real horse running at her," said Brown. "For (Regal Glory) to hold her off and to show she can get a mile and a sixteenth twice now."
Lady Speightsphere, campaigned by the same connections as April 15 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) victor Shirl's Speight , lunged out at the break and trailed the field before closing gamely to get up for third in a blanket finish for the show. She finished 6 3/4 lengths behind the runner-up.
Video
Although Regal Glory has twice proven her effectiveness over the 1 1/16 miles, Brant indicated after the Jenny Wiley that the filly's next appearance would come in the one-mile Just A Game Stakes (G1T) on Belmont Stakes Day, June 11. With this year's Breeders' Cup being held at Keeneland, Brant believes the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1T) is better suited for Regal Glory rather than the longer Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T).
"I think her sweet spot is really seven furlongs to 1 1/16 miles," said Brant. "The Breeders' Cup is a long way off but we would probably go to the (Breeders' Cup Mile)."
Peter Brant leads Regal Glory and jockey Jose Ortiz to the winner's circle
Saturday's Jenny Wiley triumph marked Brown's unprecedented fifth victory in the grade 1 race, which allowed him to surpass his late boss and mentor Bobby Frankel, who held the previous record of four.
"I'm a lucky guy with owners like Mr. (Peter) Brant and plenty before him that have sent me a lot of nice fillies, and I had a great teacher (in Frankel)," said Brown. "I just read yesterday I'm tied with Bobby's record and I was thinking of him walking down here. I spent a few Jenny Wileys in the paddock with him when I was working for him and he taught me a lot. Luckily, I've had the horses and the team to work with these horses."
Bred in Kentucky by Paul Pompa, Regal Glory is a daughter of Pompa's graded stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Mary's Follies . The 15-year-old mare has produced three stakes winners in addition to Regal Glory with Japanese grade 1 winner Café Pharoah (American Pharoah ) and multiple graded stakes winner Night Prowler (Giant's Causeway ).
Regal Glory initially raced in the colors of Pompa, garnering three graded stakes wins for her breeder. With his death in 2020, she landed in the 2021 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale, where she was included in a dispersal of Pompa horses consigned by Lane's End.
Brant acquired her for $925,000 at that sale, which he quipped he believed was "too much at the time, but looks good now."
"It was (Brant's) call to keep her in training this year," said Brown. "I probably would have bred her, and he said, 'No, she's in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year,' and so far he's right."