Jenny Wiley Stakes 2015 at Keeneland

Las Vegas, NV – Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky will play host to the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes this Saturday, April 11. Fillies and mares four years old and upward will be after the winner’s share of the $300,000 purse when they take to Keeneland’s turf track and go 1 1/16 miles.

A field of eight will take to the track in the Jenny Wiley – race 9 on Keeneland’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:46 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all eight combatants for this Grade 1 stakes.

Hard Not to Like – defending champion in this race finished second last time out in the Grade 3 Endeavour Stakes at Tampa Bay after crossing the line first and being DQ’d to second January 31 – her only start since the win in last year’s Jenny Wiley. She had an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Gulfstream in February, 2014 after a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes in October, 2013 and a third in the Grade 3 Ballston Spa two months earlier. Another career highlight was a win in the Grade 3 Marshua’s River Stakes at Gulfstream January 5, 2013. She has raced just once since last year’s Jenny Wiley score but has two wins and a second place finish in her last three starts overall. Irad Ortiz rides the likely favorite from post 5.

Ball Dancing – listed stakes winner in France has eight career starts for trainer Chad Brown with three wins and three second place finishes and has looked very good since landing in North America. She made her North American debut in September and won the Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes and Belmont Park and has posted runner-up finishes in two starts since – the Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay last time out March 7 and the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on this track in October. Ball Dancing has been very good in her last three starts and will have Javier Castellano in the reins from gate 4.

Personal Diary – Victoria Oliver trained filly has placed in nine of 12 career starts – her best result being a win three starts back in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oak in August. Personal Diary has two starts since – a fourth last time out in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November followed a third, right behind Ball Dancing in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on this track in October. She has placed in six of her last seven starts and two of three career graded stakes tries and looks OK ahead of this weekend. Joe Bravo has the mount from the rail.

Filimbi – legendary trainer Bill Mott sends out Filimbi who won the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes two starts back – November 2 and finished third in the Grade 3 First Lady Stakes before that in October. She will be looking to rebound from a fifth in the Grade 3 Hillsborough Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs March 7 – her only start this year. Overall Filimbi has six wins, three seconds and three third place finishes in 14 career starts – competitive virtually every time out. Hopes are that she can continue that trend Saturday with Joel Rosario in the irons of the 120 pound highweight from post 3.

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Emotional Kitten – last year’s fourth place finisher in this race Wesley Ward trained mare has failed to place in her last five graded stakes tries but did have a win in the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere Stakes in November, 2013 and a second in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes in March, 2014. She enters off a fourth in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes in November, an Allowance score in October and a seventh in the Grade 3 Glens Fall Stakes in August. Emotional Kitten looks to snap a graded stakes slump Saturday with Julien Leparoux aboard from post 7.

Starstruck – Nick Zito trained mare won the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes at Monmouth Park July 27 – a race that she won two years in a row. It was the only time she’s placed in her last six starts overall. Last time out was a fifth in the Grade 3 Suwannee River Stakes at Gulfstream February 7 which followed consecutive fifth place finishes – the Grade 1 Flower Bowl Stakes at Belmont Park in September and in the Grade 3 Violet Stakes at Monmouth August 23. She has 21 career starts with just four wins, two seconds and three third place finishes and enters in less-than-spectacular form. Jose Lezcano gets the call from gate 2.

Eden Prairie – multiple Stakes winner will try to score in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday. She enters having placed in her last four starts – a win last time out in the minor Bayou Stakes at Fair Grounds February 21 followed a second in the minor Marie G. Krantz Memorial in January, a win in the minor Blushing K D Stakes in December and a third in the minor Treasure Chest Stakes in October. She did have a second in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes in 2013 but finished off the board in her other two graded stakes tries – both fifth place finishes. Eden Prairie enters in the best form of her career for trainer Neil Pessin with Florent Geroux guiding her from the outside post 8.

Samiam – William Van Meter trained mare has three wins, a second and a third place finish in 13 career starts and races in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday. She enters off a third in the minor Bayou Stakes at Fair Grounds February 21 after a fourth in the minor Marie G. Krantz Memorial January 17 and a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming in November. She steps up in so-so form and leaves from gate 6 with Kerwin Clark guiding her.

Race 9 on Keeneland’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:46 PM.