The April 12 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland does not have the word international in its title, but it might as well.
Three of the favorites in the nine-horse, 1 1/16-mile turf race—Excellent Truth, Choisya, and Jabaara—have raced exclusively overseas, and seven of the participants are foreign-bred. Only Kehoe Beach and Sacred Wish were foaled in the United States, both in Kentucky and eligible for the full $650,000 purse of the Jenny Wiley. The other competitors are not eligible for Kentucky-bred incentives, making the race worth $500,000 to them.
That is still big money within the filly-and-mare stakes ranks on turf, where purses are not as stacked as comparable open races that lure primarily male runners.
Trainer Chad Brown—a winner of a record seven runnings of the Jenny Wiley, all since 2015—starts the 5-2 morning-line favorite in Resolute Racing's Excellent Truth. A group 3 winner last year and group 1-placed in her final start of 2024 when second in the Prix Rothschild (G1) way back in July, she makes her first start for new connections after being purchased at public auction. Stamford Bloodstock/Meridian Bloodstock acquired her for the equivalent of US$1,690,785 at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on behalf of John Stewart's Resolute Racing.
She previously raced for trainer Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez and owner Montgomery Motto.
In past years, Brown has run multiple horses in the Jenny Wiley—he swept the race's trifecta in 2018 with his three runners—but he has only Excellent Truth in this year's renewal. She has been training through the winter at Payson Park Training Center in South Florida leading up to her return.
Flavien Prat, who teamed with Brown to win the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) last year on Sierra Leone, rides the rail-drawn daughter of Cotai Glory.
Fellow shippers to the U.S., Choisya and Jabaara, benefit from recent outings. Rabbah Bloodstock's Choisya twice won group 2s in as many starts this winter at Meydan Racecourse for trainer Simon Crisford, and Godolphin's Jabaara was given a prep by trainer Roger Varian on an all-weather surface at Wolverhampton in Great Britain last month, in which she ran a close fourth. A stakes winner on turf, she was also a distant second in the Falmouth Stakes (G1) last year behind Porta Fortuna.
With 26 graded stakes victories to its credit, Godolphin is tied with Claiborne Farm at the top of that statistic in Keeneland history. Jabaara would break the tie with a win.
Of those with established form in the U.S., Be Your Best and Sacred Wish —a close 1-2 in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (G2T) at Gulfstream Park—and streaking front-runner Kehoe Beach, winner of the 2024 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, appear to have the best chances.
Trained by George Weaver for owners Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher Dunn, and Anthony Spinazzola, Sacred Wish is the lone grade 1 winner and millionaire in the field. Hall of Famer John Velazquez rides the daughter of Not This Time .
"She ran excellent in the Pegasus and closed well that day and just missed," Weaver assistant Blair Golen said. "Johnny and her are like a match made in heaven."
Keeneland, Saturday, April 12, 2025, Race 10Entries: Jenny Wiley S. (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Excellent Truth (IRE) Flavien Prat 123 Chad C. Brown 5/2 2 2Choisya (GB) Luis Saez 123 Simon Crisford 4/1 3 3Poolside With Slim (IRE) Jose L. Ortiz 123 George R. Arnold II 20/1 4 4Vina Arana (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 123 Jack Sisterson 30/1 5 5Be Your Best (IRE) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 123 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 6/1 6 6Jabaara (IRE) Joel Rosario 123 Roger Varian 9/2 7 7Kehoe Beach (KY) Lanfranco Dettori 123 Wesley A. Ward 7/2 8 8Sacred Wish (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 George Weaver 8/1 9 9No Show Sammy Jo (GB) Manuel Franco 123 H. Graham Motion 15/1
