Bee Jersey Defeats Girvin in Steve Sexton Mile

Chuck Fipke's homebred Bee Jersey earned his first stakes win and third straight victory in the $200,000 Steve Sexton Mile Stakes (G3) May 6 at Lone Star Park.

Defeating a seasoned grade 1 winner was just icing on the cake.

On an uncontested lead under jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. through much of the dirt test, the 4-year-old Jersey Town  colt comfortably kicked away from the field turning for home and cruised to the wire unchallenged for trainer Steve Asmussen.

For a moment, 2017 Betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Girvin, who was making his 4-year-old debut, loomed at the top of the stretch with a closing bid. But his rally from last in the seven-horse field took its toll, and he flattened out in the stretch to finish second, 5 1/2 lengths behind Bee Jersey.

"We are (excited). The Fipke breeding program and the success it has had over the last few years—this horse is just another example of it," Asmussen said. "(He's) by his horse Jersey Town, a very good grade 1 miler, and we feel this horse is possibly of that caliber."

Bee Jersey set fractions of :23.91, :47.62, and 1:11.97 through six furlongs and finished off the mile in 1:36.78.

"Today he broke so good, and I took the lead pretty nice and comfortable," Santana said. "He's an amazing horse."

In his first start since the Sept. 24 Oklahoma Derby (G3), Girvin finished a neck ahead of Shotgun Kowboy for second. Last week, trainer Joe Sharp indicated the Sexton Mile was a prep of sorts for the June 16 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs.

"We wanted him to get a race under his belt," Sharp said.

Bred in Kentucky, out of the Rahy mare Bees, Bee Jersey has a 4-3-1 record from nine starts and $326,293 in earnings. He began his 4-year-old season with a six-length win in an Oaklawn Park allowance Jan. 20, then took an optional-claiming allowance at Keeneland by 7 3/4 lengths April 14. In all three races this season, he led at every point of call.