Jaywalk Steps Up in Juvenile Fillies

While Bellafina figures to be the favorite for the Nov. 2 Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), beware of fillies coming out of the Frizette Stakes (G1). Last year's runner-up, Caledonia Road, won the Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar as a 17-1 shot. This year's Frizette winner, Jaywalk, is a lightning-fast daughter of first-crop sire Cross Traffic .

Out of the Orientate mare Lady Pewitt and bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Jaywalk is a winner of three of four starts, including the White Clay Creek Stakes going 5 1/2 furlongs at Delaware Park prior to wiring the field in the one-turn-mile Frizette at Belmont Park.

Trained by John Servis, Jaywalk races for Chuck Zacney's Cash is King and Leonard Green. Servis saddled Cathryn Sophia to victory in the 2016 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) for Cash is King and also trained dual classic winner Smarty Jones .

Working with agent Jim McGreevy, Servis shelled out $190,000 for Jaywalk at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was the second-highest-priced yearling from Cross Traffic's first crop.

"She was one of those fillies that when she walked out of the barn, she caught your eye right away," Servis said. "She was stunning; very feminine. She is very attractive; looks like an athlete and had a big walk on her. We liked everything about her."

The filly was consigned by Gainesway, which also picked up Lady Pewitt privately while she was carrying Jaywalk.

"She's tall and lengthy and well-balanced. We liked her, and she sold well," said Michael Hernon, director of sales for Gainesway. "We're delighted for Chuck Zacney, who stands Afleet Alex  here at Gainesway.

"We had success with Jaywalk's half sister and Lady Pewitt's first stakes winner, Danzatrice," Hernon continued. "We were keen to see if we could pick up the mare, and we located her locally and bought her privately. We had campaigned her sire, Orientate, who was a champion, and he had wonderful nature speed, which it looks like her granddaughter has inherited."

Danzatrice, Lady Pewitt's second foal, won the Parx Oaks, Tiffany Lass Stakes, and Iowa Distaff Stakes, and she placed in the grade 3 Groupie Doll Stakes for Gainesway Stable. Lady Pewitt's dam, Spin Room, is a half sister to grade 2 winners and sires Mission Impazible  and Forest Camp, and grade 3 winner Spanish Empire.

Jaywalk finished second in her June 23 debut. A month later, she whistled by 7 1/2 lengths in a five-furlong maiden race at Parx Racing. She then won the White Clay Creek by 1 1/2 lengths while coming off the pace.

"She showed pretty good speed in her first two starts," Servis said. "In the stakes, they were rolling along pretty good (:21.31 for the opening quarter; the half in :45.24). They outran her pretty early. When they turned for home and she switched leads, she really leveled off and blew by 'em."

The Frizette, according to Servis, was "a solid race. I thought it was very impressive for her. I thought she'd come from off the pace because there were a lot of runners coming out of sprints. She went to the lead, set some pretty quick dog-gone fractions, and just kept going."

Servis hopes Jaywalk keeps going all the way to the winner's circle Nov. 2. She ships to Louisville Oct. 29, and though Servis has had great success under the Twin Spires, he's only had one starter in the World Championships. Two-time grade 1 winner Jostle came home ninth in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs as a 3-year-old.

"I wanted to scratch her," Servis recalled. "That whole week of training, she wasn't doing great, and if I had my way, I would have scratched her. But Churchill has been pretty good to me; I'm looking forward to coming back."