In Italian takes foes gate to wire in Jenny Wiley at Keeneland

Not much went wrong for odds-on favorite In Italian onSaturday in the Grade 1, $600,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland. 

Irad Ortiz Jr. got her out of the gate quickly, and sheraced to an early lead that she never relinquished.

“That was pretty nice,” Ortiz said. “She’s always nice whenI get on her. She always gives you that feeling. What can I say?”

Making her first start since Joel Rosario rode her to a close second over thesame course in the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the 6-year-olddaughter of Dubawi led at every call of the 1 1/16-mile race on the firm grass.She has done that in all six of her victories, including three Grade 1s.

“She was just freshening up at Payson Park in Florida,”owner Peter Brant said. “We did that with (2018 winner) Sistercharlie, and itworked. It was nice to have a fresh horse, and she’s very special.”

So what could go wrong? Just ask winning trainer Chad Brown.If only he had been available for comment.

“Unfortunately, he got tied up in Atlanta, Ga., and couldn’tmake it,” Brant said. “They canceled his flight.”

Otherwise it was a perfect, 79-degree day in the sunshinefor the winners. In Italian (3-5) was alert in the paddock, and she stayed thatway with her ears pricked from go to whoa. Ortiz had her in hand around thebackstretch, and then she responded to his push of the button in the run home,opening up to win by three lengths.

Nothing to it, right?

“I know it looks easy, but it’s not easy,” Ortiz said with a glowing smile.“You have some nice fillies and great riders. You’re never confident againstthem. But she proves that she’s so nice winning tough races. The trainer did agreat job coming off the layoff. She was 100 percent.”

Three race-day scratches left five rival fillies and maresto be In Italian’s supporting players. Queen Goddess (5-1), competing for thefirst time since she won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) on Jan.28, tried to keep up for a while. She was within a length of the lead beforeshe wilted to a last-place finish.

Godolphin homebred and 2022 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1)victor With The Moonlight (2-1), coming off a pair of Grade 2 wins in Dubai,mounted what came closest to looking like a challenge to In Italian. William Buickrode her to finish second for trainer Charlie Appleby, who also got stuck witha runner-up finish Friday with champion Modern Games in the Maker’s Mark Mile(G1).

White Frost (7-1), a Grade 3 winner who was a close secondlast month in the Honey Fox (G3) at Gulfstream Park, was third most of the wayaround the firm course, and that was where she finished with Frankie Dettoririding for trainer Bill Mott.

Skims (37-1), a Grade 2 victor last fall, and Pizza Bianca(21-1), the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner for owner BobbyFlay, finished fourth and fifth, in that order, ahead of Queen Goddess.

In Italian won with a time of 1:39.71 after she set earlyfractions of 23.63, 47.29, 1:10.66 and 1:33.78. She paid $3.50, $2.38 and$2.10; With The Moonlight $3.10 and $2.62; and White Frost $3.42.

In absentia, Brown won the Jenny Wiley for a record fifthtime. Brant won it for the third time, having done so first with Sistercharlieand then with Regal Glory last spring. The victory raised In Italian’s careerearnings to $1,635,308, a nice return on an investment of $609,434 at theTattersalls yearling sale 3 1/2 years ago in England.

As for an encore, Brant said a cutback to one mile in theJust A Game (G1) on June 9, the eve of the Belmont Stakes, might be in theworks.

“I’mgoing to let her get the tack off and get with Chad,” Brant said.