America
Rare dead heat in G1 Jenny Wiley
By Stefanie Grimm, TDN
In a photo finish that took the stewards several minutes to decipher, the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland Saturday finished in a thrilling dead heat between Expensive Queen (Ire) (Lope de Vega (Ire) and Segesta (Ghostzapper).
The race dynamic changed hours before the race Saturday as a pair of early-morning favourites, Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) and Destino d'Oro (Bolt d'Oro), both scratched. That opened the door for Juddmonte homebred Segesta to inherit the favourite's role in her first start since winning the G1 Matriarch Stakes at Del Mar in November.
“She looked a winner until about the 16th pole, and then (jockey) Flavien (Prat) said he went to the outside to engage the filly and then the other filly (Expensive Queen) came up the inside,” said Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke.
Garrett ORourke | Image courtesy of Juddmonte
“When I saw it on the replay, I turned around and said, 'I'll take a dead heat there.' I meant I thought we were maybe out-nosed, and then when it flashed up on the screen and it came up 1-10, I turned around and went, 'Argh - we got beat' and then everyone said, 'No, it's a dead heat.' So it's up-and-down emotions. I'm delighted for the filly. She's very deserving of it and had come so close in Grade 1s for so long. We did win a Grade 1 in the Matriarch, but we still got (Juddmonte's) agreement to keep her in training this year. That's a risk to take with a filly like that. Straight out credit to (trainer) Chad (Brown) for having her so ready to do this today. So very rewarding.”
Segesta is one of 19 top-level winners for the now-pensioned Ghostzapper. As one might expect from a Juddmonte homebred, she is a beautifully-bred daughter of G1 Longines Just a Games Stakes winner Antonoe, a mare who was also a winner in the French G3 Prix d'Aumale. From four foals to race, she has now produced not one but two Grade 1 winners including Segesta's half-brother, Salamis (Speightstown) who took down the G1 Hollywood Derby last year.
“Like (jockey) Luis Saez said, she wasn't in the ideal spot,” trainer Brendan Walsh said of Expensive Queen. “Most of her races since she's come here she's come outside and been more comfortable with it. They were down there (on the rail) nice and tight, but credit to Luis, he kept after her and she responded to him, and we're quite happy with the result. I was prepared for the worst but, listen, congratulations to the Knelmans (of owner Farfellow Farm) and all credit to my team. When you end up in this (winner's) circle, it's never too bad.”
Lope De Vega picked up his 26th Grade/Group 1 winner in Expensive Queen who was a €260,000 (AU$432,000) yearling purchase out of the 2022 Arqana August Yearling Sale for Rabbah Bloodstock. First dam Witches Brew (Duke Of Marmalade), herself placed in a pair of stakes races in Ireland, has four winners from seven to race including this mare's full sister Antonia De Vega (Ire) who won a pair of Group 3 races in England. Clearly the cross works as two other full siblings have placed in stakes racing, Luckin Brew (Ire) and Al Haarith (Ire).
G1 Apple Blossom won by Claret Beret
Miller Racing's Claret Beret (Not This Time) hit the front at the top of the Oaklawn Park stretch and refused to be pulled back by a charging Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) to win the G1 Apple Blossom Stakes, a 'Win and You're In' for this year's G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland.
The now 5-year-old mare has shown a remarkable uptick in form since being claimed by Saffie Joseph Jr. just about one year ago. Since winning her first start for him at Gulfstream, a minor handicap race by 19.75 lengths, she's competed in seven straight stakes races.
The Apple Blossom was also the first Grade 1 win for jockey Micah Husbands who began his riding career in Canada before earning his first win in the United States in 2024.
“I was loaded by the three-eighths (pole),” said Husbands. “I was just trying to be as patient (as possible) and not move too early. I was just loaded the whole way. When I asked her down the lane, she just finished it off. This has always been my dream, to ride in these kind of races and I'm just thankful to be living in the dream.”
Taylor Made's Not This Time continues his rise to the top, earning his 13th Grade 1 winner. First dam Bessie M, a stakes-winning daughter of Medallist who banked over US$218,000 (AU$308,000) in her racing career, has three winners from four to race including another stakes-placed daughter in Benedict Canyon (Midnight Lute).
Trendsetter adds valuable Derby points
By Steve Sherack, TDN
Have a spring meeting Ben Colebrook! Trendsetter (Modernist) came rolling down the centre of the stretch to win going away at 32-1 in Saturday's G3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland.
The victory adds to a huge beginning of the Keeneland meeting for Colebrook, who also saddled Percy's Bar (Upstart) to a win in last Friday's G1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes.
“I wouldn't say I was surprised,” Colebrook said. “I thought he was going to run good. I definitely didn't think that kind of performance was there, but I thought we were going to see some improvement, and if he improved, then he was going to be kind of right there with these horses and get a piece of it.”
The Stonestreet Lexington offers 20-10-6-4-2 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Trendsetter, a US$22,000 (AU$31,000) yearling in January, US$25,000 (AU$35,000) October yearling and US$130,000 (AU$184,000) 2-year-old, becomes the first Graded winner for Modernist. His only other stakes winner is Talk To Me Jimmy, who romped in the Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in February. Trendsetter is the second Graded winner for broodmare sire Astrology.
Japan
G1 Oka Sho won by Star Anise
Not seen since winning the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December at two, 3-year-old filly Star Anise (Jpn) (Drefong {Jpn}) resumed in style to win the G1 Hanshin Oka Sho (1000 Guineas) on Sunday. The victory takes her record to three wins from five starts.
Star Anise won easily by 2.5 lengths and covered the mile in 1:31.5, just slower than the race record of 1:31.1 set by Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofone {Jpn}). Japan starts their timer just after the gates open, so their times are not directly comparable to Australia.
A half-sister to dual Listed winner Balsam Note (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), Star Anise is one of three winners for G2 Hanshin Centaur Stakes victrix Epice Arome (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). Third dam, Listed Longchamp Prix de la Seine-placed Lola Lola (Saint Cyren), was imported to Japan and produced 1996 Horse Of The Year Sakura Laurel (Rainbow Quest).
England
All horses safe in Grand National
While this publication wouldn’t normally cover jumps racing, there is one in England that gathers plenty of press in and out of racing. In 2026, 34 horses started the race, and 16 finished. Of those, four were pulled up, seven lost their riders, and seven fell. There were no equine fatalities, however, jockey Robbie Dunne was taken to hospital for observation after his fall.
The winner Willie Mullins-trained I Am Maximus (Authorized) won for the second time in his career, having won the race in 2024 and was second in 2025. He carried top weight.
The win gives former Australian shuttler Authorized his fourth win in the race, a modern day record. He also sired dual winner Tiger Roll. Authorized shuttled to Australia from 2009 to 2012.
Winner of the 2007 G1 Epsom Derby, Authorized sired I Am Maximus while standing at Haras du Logis in France. He later spent two seasons in Turkey before relocating again in 2023 to Capital Stud in Ireland. In Australia, he is the sire of four-time Group 1 winner Hartnell (GB).
