Rabbah Bloodstock's British homebred Choisya made her United States and top-flight debut a winning one with a stalking half-length score over Excellent Truth in the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland April 12.
Trained by Simon and Ed Crisford, the 5-year-old Night of Thunder mare was in command through the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile jaunt over good footing but drifted out late in the lane to the path of a rallying Excellent Truth. Choisya persevered under jockey Luis Saez in the final strides and crossed the wire in a final time of 1:42.01. She survived a subsequent objection from Flavien Prat, jockey of Excellent Truth, to claim the victory.
Choisya entered from a pair of group 2 wins at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, including a five-length score in the one-mile Cape Verdi (G2T) in January and a head victory over the Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin homebred Cinderella's Dream in the 1 1/8-mile Balanchine (G2T) Feb. 21.
Cinderella's Dream was a force in the U.S. last year, capturing both the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1T) and Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2T) ahead of a close second to Canadian-bred heroine Moira in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
Ed Crisford said Choisya will point to the one-mile $500,000 Just a Game Stakes (G1T) during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course June 6. The Jenny Wiley offered a fees-waived berth into the Just a Game.
"We're delighted with Choisya's win yesterday. She's been improving all winter long in Dubai and obviously put up a career-best effort yesterday in such a great race like the Jenny Wiley at Keeneland," Crisford said. "The plan is to bring her back home to the U.K. and give her a couple of weeks and then prepare her for the Just a Game at Saratoga. We're really, really pleased with her. She's improving and a tough filly. Hopefully, she has a very fun year ahead of her."
Choisya will follow a similar path of the Appleby/Godolphin campaigned Althiqa, who, in 2021, won the Cape Verdi and finished third in the Balanchine en route to grade 1 wins in New York in the Just a Game and Diana Stakes (G1).
The cleverly named Choisya, out of Singspiel mare Fragrancy, is named for a kind of evergreen bush with shiny leaves and white flowers that smell very sweet. She has banked $709,462 via an 8-5-0 record from 20 starts that includes a win last summer in the Dick Hern Stakes at Haydock Park.
