Mark D Breen’s Jessica’s Star found another gear in the stretch to pull off
the upset in Saturday night’s Grade 3, $250,000
Iowa
Derby for three-year-olds at Prairie Meadows. The Michael Stidham pupil was
sent off as the 9-1 co-third choice on the board and paid $21.20 in his
graded stakes debut.
Jessica’s Star was reserved in midpack as eventual runner-up, Embellishing
Bob led the field through opening fractions of :23 3/5, :46 4/5 and 1:11 1/5.
Jessica’s Star made his move around the far turn and went four wide heading
for home. He looked like he would take over but started to lose some ground as
the pacesetter and Vicar’s in Trouble, the 7-5 favorite and Louisiana Derby winner,
were dueling it out on the lead. Jessica’s Star would not give in and rallied
late to run down the leaders and prevail by a length.
Embellishing Bob took second, two lengths over third-place finisher Vicar’s
in Trouble. Russellin, Smack Smack, Tairneach, Charge Now, I Got It All and Six
Spot completed the order under the wire.
Jessica’s Star covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 over a sloppy track with David
Mello in the irons. The son of Tiznow banked $150,000 for his second stakes win
in a row to boost his bankroll to $275,600 from a 6-4-2-0 career line.
Jessica’s Star broke his maiden in his second start over a sloppy Fair
Grounds track on March 6. He ran second on the grass at Keeneland against
allowance foes on April 9 and then returned to the dirt to win an optional
claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 3. The dark bay gelding was exiting a
victory in his stakes debut in the Prairie Mile on May 31 at this venue over a
muddy track.
Bred in Kentucky by Elisabeth H. Alexander, Jessica’s Star is out of the
unraced Dynaformer mare Bimini Knot. His grandam is multiple Grade 3-placed
stakes winner Hitch. The dark bay’s female family also includes multiple Grade 2
scorer Wend and multiple Grade 3 victor Clearly Now.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com