Grace prevails in off-the-turf Jessamine

House of Grace (outside) just caught her rival on the line (EquiSport Photos) Magdalena Racing’s HOUSE OF GRACE (Limehouse) rallied smartly through the stretch to catch Smart Seattle (Smart Strike) by a nose in Thursday’s $150,000 Jessamine S., which was rained off Keeneland’s turf and transferred to the Polytrack. Because of the surface switch, the Jessamine winner does not receive an automatic berth in the November 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf as first planned, but trainer Ken McPeek will “definitely” aim to get House of Grace in the starting gate at Oak Tree. “We’d like to get back to the grass,” McPeek said of the filly, who is now perfect from two starts. “I think she’s better on the turf. It’s just a great situation.” House of Grace, a five-length debut maiden winner going 1 1/16 grassy miles at Saratoga on August 19, kept jockey Mike Luzzi aboard in the Jessamine. The bay was reserved off the pace while racing along the inside, tucked just behind the stalking Smart Seattle. Leading the way was a rank Whydah (More Than Ready), who was pressed by Waynetta (Medaglia d’Oro) through fractions of :23 3/5, :47 2/5 and 1:12 3/5. Smart Seattle crept closer on the far turn, and slipping through along the rail, she quickly seized command and opened up on the field. Two lengths clear in the stretch, Smart Seattle momentarily appeared to have put the race away.

Then House of Grace switched to the outside, set her sights on the leader,
and ran her down at the wire to complete 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 1/5. The 3-1 third
choice in the nine-filly field returned $8, $3.80 and $3.

“Great trip,” Luzzi said. “I followed Jeremy Rose (on Smart Seattle). He got
a perfect trip; so did I.”

Smart Seattle was herself 3 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest pursuer, and the
5-2 second choice paid $3.80 and $2.60 for her near-miss effort. Hatheer (Storm
Cat), the 2-1 favorite, wound up best of the rest by 3 1/2 lengths. Show yielded
$2.80. The exotics totaled $25.20 (exacta), $58.40 (trifecta) and $347.80
(3-5-7-8 superfecta) with the 11-1 Canadian Storm (Stormy Atlantic) getting up
for fourth. Waynetta, Whydah, Oscar de la Thorn (Cactus Ridge), Poortown
Princess (Century City [Ire]) and Avy Baby (Eurosilver) rounded out the order of
finish, while Dreaminofjosephine (El Corredor), Jonmil’s Edge (The Cliff’s Edge)
and Lisa’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) were withdrawn.

House of Grace, a $100,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling, nearly quadrupled her
bankroll to $120,600. Bred by Crown’s Way Farm and Dede McGehee, DVM, the
Kentucky-bred is the first registered foal from the stakes-winning Gracility
(Known Fact), who has since produced an unnamed yearling filly by Roman Ruler
and a weanling filly by Langfuhr. Further back, this is the family of 12-time
stakes heroine Double Delta (Delta Judge), queen of the Beldame S., Maskette H.
and Ashland S. and runner-up in such notable events as the Kentucky Oaks and
Diana H.