Before trainer Larry Jones saddles Honest Man in the Kentucky Cup Classic (gr. II) at Turfway Park Saturday, he will send out multiple graded stakes winner Maren’s Meadow in the Kentucky Cup Distaff (gr. III).
Owned by River Ridge Ranch, Maren’s Meadow took the Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) at Turfway in March. She also has the Aug. 9 Monmouth Oaks (gr. III) to her credit.
“We want to be sure her win on the synthetic wasn't a fluky deal,” said Jones. “If she runs well again we’ll know where to put her this winter.”
Jockey Terry Thompson will ride the 3-year-old Meadowlake filly, who has been assigned 118 pounds. He was also aboard for her last start, a fourth place finish in the Aug. 30 Go For Wand Stakes. Maren’s Meadow lost that day to Seattle Smooth, who defeated another Jones’ trainee, Proud Spell, in the Sept. 20 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Stakes (gr. II).
Maren’s Meadow will have to defeat six other fillies if she hopes to add another graded stakes score to her resume, including Bear Now, who won last year’s Cotillion.
Bear Now, who is trained by Reade Baker and races for Bear Stables, has two stakes victories to her credit this year and six overall. After winning the June 21 Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms and July 20 Ontario Matron Stakes, the 4-year-old Tiznow filly finished third in the Aug. 16 Belle Mahone Stakes. All three races came at Woodbine.
Bear Now, along with stakes winners Devil House, Fancy Fusaichi, and Unforgotten, will carry 120 pounds. In their last starts, Unforgotten and Fancy Fusaichi finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Aug. 16 Gardenia Handicap (gr. III). Devil House comes into the Distaff off a second-place finish in the Aug. 3 Lady’s Secret Stakes at Monmouth.
Marquee Delivery and Tazarine, who are both seeking their first added-money win, round out the field.
$100,000 Kentucky Cup Distaff (gr. III), 3yo and upward fillies & mares, 1 1/16 miles:
Post Horse Trainer Jockey Weight
1 Tazarine/ D. Wayne Lukas/ Miguel Mena 112
2 Fancy Fusaichi/ William Mott /Brian Hernandez Jr. 120
3 Marquee Delivery/ Philip Sims/ Otto Thorwarth 116
4 Bear Now/ Reade Baker/ Eurico Rosa Da Silva 120
5 Unforgotten/ Dallas Stewart/ Shaun Bridgmohan 120
6 Maren’s Meadow/ J. Larry Jones/ Terry Thompson 118
7 Devil House/ George Arnold II/ Julien Leparoux 120