September 27, 2015
Despite a small field of four, the Grade I Beldame held quite a bit of significant for all involved and at the end of nine-furlongs, it was Little Jen who earned her way back into the Distaff picture with a powerful off-the-pace win for owner Mb Stables. From a decent family who has produced a few stakes winners, she is easily the best of her crop and now sports $1300.000 in earnings from 22 starts, and a spot among the favourites at KEE at a distance that might be her best.
As usual, the nine-furlongs at BEL is only around one turn so there was no need to save any ground and only Little Jen (9.40) dropped back as Years Go Bye (4.05) went out to set the fractions. Out of the chute, Zero Hour (1.25) moved forward inside as the quartet remained tightly bunched and Living Dead Girl (*1.20) was forced to move three-wide so as not to clip heels. Zero Hour took her run to Years Go Bye early and established the lead passing the first split of 48.93 and that allowed Little Jen the chance to sneak inside for her run, with hopes the rail would open. As the pace quickened, Living Deal Girl looked for her run outside while Little Jen tried to find a seam between Zero Hour and a stubborn Years Go Bye, with only 1.5-lengths separating them through six-furlongs in 1:12.75. Around the far turn, Years Go Bye had taken the lead once again but had angled out in the process and that gave the longest shot on the board all the room she needed to squeeze through. With a furlong to run, Living Dead Girl had come on to take a very brief lead but Little Jen was the one with the momentum and she burst forward with a decisive thrust en route to victory by 3/4’s of a length. Living Dead Girl held well for a clear second while Years Go Bye and Zero Hour had nothing left for the drive, winding up third and fourth in a tightly packed field.
Owner Mb Stables had three Grade I winners on Saturday around the country but none was as satisfying as Little Jen, since she had been knocking at the door all season long and finally came through with her second top-level win and a career-best speed rating as well. She goes into the Grade I BC Distaff as the points leader, and with confidence, and if she gets the trip she got over the BEL oval, there is no telling what she might be able to do with the right post and even more speed to chase.
Congratulations goes out to owner Mb Stables and their four-year-old filly Little Jen, a last-to-first winner of the Grade I Beldame at BEL!
Prediction Years Go Bye / Little Jen / Living Dead Girl
Winner Little Jen
Four-year-old bay filly
Jazz Milieu-Tao Spirit (Auto-Generated)
Owner Mb Stables
Time 48.93, 1:12.75, 1:36.82, 1:48.76
Overall
Little Jen 9.40 tucked in nicely, between horses, clear late
Living Dead Girl *1.20 outside run, brief late lead, caught
Years Go Bye 4.05 battled two-wide, no late response
Zero Hour 1.25 inside trip, nothing when prompted
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
