LNJ Foxwoods' Kentucky homebred Ellen Jay, whose name reflects her owners' moniker, made a name for herself with a first stakes score in the $139,500 Glen Cove Stakes, a six-furlong outer turf test for sophomore fillies, Oct. 18 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by dual Eclipse Award winner Brad Cox, the Constitution bay is now 3-for-3 on turf, adding to a pair of 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint wins against elders at Ellis Park, including a third-out graduation in July ahead of a commanding allowance score last-out Aug. 10.
Ellen Jay is out of the LNJ Foxwoods-campaigned and Cox-conditioned Covfefe, who captured Saratoga Race Course's Test Stakes (G1) as well as the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita Park en route to 2019 Eclipse Award honors as champion female sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly.
Jaime Roth, the "J" in LNJ Foxwoods, said it was a special win to come from a homebred. Her parents Larry and Nanci represent the "L" and the "N" in the parents-daughter team under the nom de course LNJ Foxwoods that delved into Thoroughbred ownership in 2012.
"I just saw her mom on Wednesday when I was in Lexington and now to be standing here in the winner's circle next to her first baby—that doesn't happen. I'm so lucky to experience that," said Roth. "Being here at Aqueduct—this is home and to be here with my dad—he thinks he's a jinx, but he wasn't today."
Piloted by Flavien Prat, Ellen Jay exited post 2 a half-step slower than the Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse-trained Ready to Jam, who broke sharply from the inside post as fellow Casse pupil Time to Dazzle sat to their outside through an opening quarter-mile in :22.21 on the firm turf.
Heading into the turn, the order of Ready to Jam, Ellen Jay, and Time to Dazzle remained unchanged, with Agra keeping watch from well off the pace after hitting the gate at the break. Ellen Jay drew alongside Ready to Jam through the turn, before pouncing to the front with five-eighths down in :55.73.
Agra kicked from last under Junior Alvarado, but she could only earn place honors as Ellen Jay crossed the wire 1 1/2 lengths in front in a final time of 1:07.38.
Ready to Jam and Time to Dazzle rounded out the order of finish.
Prat, aboard for the first time, said Ellen Jay was professional in her step up in class.
"I think she's just starting to figure it out. She was traveling well all the way around and it seems like the filly on the inside broke a bit better than me and was a bit quicker the first part, so I was happy to sit there," said Prat. "She responded well when I asked her to get going."
Ellen Jay banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 5-3-0-1 and returning $3.70 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.
