Careless Jewel faces five in Cotillion

Careless Jewel has won her last four starts by a combined margin of 29 lengths (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) CARELESS JEWEL (Tapit) peaked too late in the season to give Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) much of a tussle in the race for divisional honors, but the exciting sophomore filly can add to her already growing resume with another sizable victory in Saturday’s $750,000 Cotillion S. (G2) at Philadelphia Park. The Woodbine-based miss will carry 124 pounds, spotting her five rivals from two to 10 pounds in the 1 1/16-mile contest. Trained by Josie Carroll, Careless Jewel was only third in her Keeneland debut in April, but has ripped through four consecutive wins since then. After breaking her maiden and winning a first-level allowance over the Woodbine Polytrack by a combined margin of 10 3/4 lengths, the gray made a successful transition to dirt with overpowering wins in the Delaware Oaks (G2) by 7 1/4 lengths and the August 22 Alabama S. (G1) by 11 lengths. The back-to-back BRIS Speed ratings of 110 and 104 will make her difficult to beat with anything similar in the Cotillion, and regular rider Robert Landry will be back up Saturday when they break from post 1.

Trainer Larry Jones, whose eventual champion Proud Spell was upset in this
spot a year ago, will attempt to play the role of spoiler this time with JUST
JENDA (Menifee), who romped by a combined 12 1/2 lengths in taking the August 15 Monmouth
Oaks (G3) and Serena’s Song S. in her last two. Owned by Jones’ wife Cindy, Just Jenda, who also possesses a victory in the Honeybee S. (G3), returns to the site
of her 6 3/4-length maiden victory as well as a nine-length conquering of the
Brandywine S. Just Jenda concluded her Cotillion preparation on Monday with a
five-furlong breeze in 1:02 2/5 over Delaware Park’s wet-fast main track.

CAT MOVES (Tale of the Cat), who notched the Prioress S. (G1) in her third
career outing, lost for the first time when third in the August 8 Test S. (G1).
This will mark the Tony Dutrow pupil’s first attempt beyond seven furlongs, and
Edward Evans’ homebred has posted two bullet works in recent weeks over
Aqueduct’s main track.

MARY’S FOLLIES (More Than Ready), who earned her signature win on grass in
the June 27 Boiling Springs S. (G3), was second of four in the off-the-turf Lake
George S. (G3) at Saratoga most recently. BON JOVI GIRL (Malibu Moon) earned a
108 Speed rating when taking the June 20 Susan’s Girl S. at Delaware by eight lengths
two back, but has been found wanting when facing Careless Jewel and Just Jenda
in the past. The Cotillion field is rounded out by KEY LIME BABY (Champali), who
trailed behind Just Jenda in the Serena’s Song in her only prior stakes attempt.