Photo goes Evening Jewel’s way in Honeymoon

Evening Jewel (right) just staved off the late charge of Cozi Rosie (Benoit Photos) After getting caught by a nose in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), EVENING JEWEL (Northern Afleet) wound up on the winning side of a photo finish in Saturday’s $150,000 Honeymoon H. (G2), holding the fast-closing Cozi Rosie (Pleasantly Perfect) safe by a head in her turf debut. Winner of the Ashland S. (G1) two starts previously, the Jim Cassidy-trained filly notched her third stakes win with the wire-to-wire triumph, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 4/5 over the firm Hollywood Park course. Owned by Braly Family Trust, Evening Jewel recorded slow fractions of :24 4/5, :50 1/5 and 1:14 2/5 on an easy one-length lead beneath Victor Espinoza and spurted away from her rivals in upper stretch. Cozi Rosie, who rated in last during the opening stages, found her best stride in deep stretch, closing rapidly on the far outside to throw a brief scare into Evening Jewel’s supporters before coming up a little short.

“She was in the bridle all the way,” Espinoza explained. “She was doing it
easy and wasn’t rank at all but was just right in the bridle. After the first
half mile she was strong so I wanted to wait as long as I could and not use her.
This is a tremendous job by Jim (Cassidy), the way he’s improving this filly.”

Jockey Mike Smith was pleased with the effort of the runner-up.

“I missed the break and probably should have won,” Smith said. “(Evening
Jewel) is really talented and really tough. We were hitting our best stride at
the end, so that’s a good sign.”

Off as the 4-5 favorite, Evening Jewel paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Cozi Rosie,
the 7-2 second choice, returned $3.60 and $2.80. City to City (City Zip) fell a
length short of second with her late rally and gave back $3.40 as the 5-1 third
choice. Triple Cream (Tapit) and Andina (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) dead-heated for
fourth and were followed under the wire by In the Slips (More Than Ready) and
Dreamed to Dream (Deputy Wild Cat).

The $1 exotics yielded $6.90 (exacta), $21 (trifecta), $55.40 (5-1-2-3
superfecta) and $24.50 (5-1-2-7 superfecta).

Runner-up by a nose to divisional leader Blind Luck (Evening Jewel) in both
the Kentucky Oaks and Las Virgenes S. (G1), Evening Jewel also finished second
to Crisp (El Corredor) in the Santa Ysabel S. (G3) earlier this season. The
California-bred bay filly earned her first stakes win over state-bred rivals,
capturing the California Breeders’ Champion S. in late December, and has now
earned $606,943 from her 10-5-5-0 line.

Bred by Larry and Betty L. Mabee, Evening Jewel sold for only $8,000 as a
Keeneland September yearling. The first registered foal out of Jewel of the
Night (Giant’s Causeway), she has an unraced juvenile half-sister named Maggie
McGowan (Salt Lake) as well as a pair of Cindago half-sisters, a yearling and a
2010 filly. Jewel of the Night is herself a half-sibling to multiple stakes
winners Saucey Evening (More Than Ready), who ran third in the 2009 Las
Virgenes, and Petition the Lady (Petionville).

Evening Jewel’s third dam is the winning Excellent Lady (Smarten), who counts
among her progeny multiple Grade 1 king General Challenge (General Meeting),
Grade 1 victress Notable Career (Avenue of Flags) and Grade 2-placed stakes
scorer Western Hemisphere (General Meeting). Others of note in this line include
multiple Grade 2 heroine Snow Dance (Forest Wildcat) and multiple Grade 1-placed
Southern Halo (Halo), who is a successful sire.

Cassidy plans on keeping Evening Jewel on the turf.

“She’s just a wonderful filly,” Cassidy said. “She’s worked over the turf
fabulously, but you never know. The ($250,000) American Oaks (G1) (on July 3 at
Hollywood Park) and the Del Mar Oaks (G1) are next and that takes her to the end
of the summer. Then the Queen Elizabeth II (G1) (at Keeneland in the fall), if
everything goes well.”