by Tim Nichols
The field in the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes could not handle the power of Laragh on Thursday as the two-year-old Tapit filly won in visually impressive fashion at Keeneland Race Course.
Laragh scored a commanding 4¾-length win at odds of 11.60-to-1 as she completed the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.54 on turf rated as firm in her stakes debut. Habaya, who is out of 2002 champion turf female Golden Apples (Ire), finished 1½ lengths ahead of Complicity for second.
Laragh secured a starting spot in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on October 24 at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park. The Jessamine was the final Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series race of the year.
“We’re going to have to see how she comes out, obviously,” Laragh’s trainer, John Terranova, said about the filly’s chances of going to the Breeders’ Cup. “We only have 15 days [until the race]. It’s been in the back of our minds.”
Making her first start for Terranova, Laragh bumped with Hint of Lemon at the start but sprinted to the early lead under Edgar Prado. Laragh led by two lengths through quick fractions of :22.87 through the opening quarter and :47.26 for a half-mile.
Prado kept Laragh focused at the quarter pole as she increased her lead to five lengths in early stretch and drove to a convincing victory.
“She has tactical speed and put me right there from the beginning,” Prado said. “I was very happy when she slowed down a little back on the backside, and I had enough left at the end.”
Shadwell Stable’s homebred Habaya, who won her debut by a half-length in her previous start on September 25, closed gamely for second after splitting horses in the stretch.
Out of the unraced El Prado (Ire) mare Rose of Summer, Laragh has won two of four starts and earned $131,365 for owners IEAH Stables and Golden Goose Enterprise. She won one of three starts at Woodbine earlier this year for trainer Mark Casse before being moved to Terranova’s barn.
Laragh was bred in Kentucky by Mike Ryan.
Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY assistant editor
For an Equibase chart, click here