Judy the Beauty Set for Season Debut

Trainer Wesley Ward pulled no punches with the season debut of champion Judy the Beauty, entering her in top-level company on the biggest day of the North American racing year in the $300,000 Humana Distaff Stakes (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.

The 6-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper   has not run since taking the Nov. 1 DraftKings Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, and will seek a better result than the 2014 Humana Distaff, in which she ran fourth after wins in the Madison Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and in the Las Flores Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita, after just missing the 2014 Filly & Mare Sprint to champion Groupie Doll. 

This year, Judy the Beauty did not start at the Keeneland spring meet, but instead began tuning up for her first start of the season with a series of turf works.

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The chestnut runner next turned up the heat with a steady series of works, including two six-furlong bullets over the Churchill surface: 1:13 flat April 14 and 1:12 3/5 April 20. She had a five-furlong tuneup for the race back at Ward's Keeneland base April 27, going the distance in 1:02 1/5.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith comes in to ride Judy the Beauty, last year's Eclipse Award-winning female sprinter, from the outside post in a field of eight older fillies and mares for the seven-furlong test. She carries high weight of 123 pounds.

Bobby Flay's Dame Dorothy comes in with an eye on her first grade I win. The 4-year-old Bernardini   filly was a distant second to Warren's Veneda in the March 14 Santa Margarita Stakes (gr. I) for trainer Todd Pletcher last time out. Javier Castellano has the mount from post 3. Dame Dorothy carries 120 pounds, while all others carry 118.

Pletcher has Alto Racing's Sweet Whiskey seeking her first grade I in this spot as well, with that 4-year-old daughter of Old Fashioned   coming off a third in the March 21 Inside Information Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. Sweet Whiskey is cross-entered in the May 1 La Troienne Stakes (gr. I) at Churchill; she drew post 3 under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in that 1 1/16-mile test and drew the 7 hole in the Humana Distaff with Velazquez still named to ride.

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Treadyway Racing Stable's Sweet Reason is also making her first start of the season, looking to rebound from an eighth in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Last summer the 4-year-old Street Sense   filly won the Test Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course and the TVG Acorn Stakes (gr. I) for trainer Leah Gyarmati. Sweet Reason drew the rail and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.

Inside Information runner-up You Bought Her, Madison third Clearly Confused, and grade III winner Thank You Marylou complete the field along with maiden winner Moonlit Stroll.