D. J. Stable and Cash is King's Jaywalk (Cross Traffic) tuned up for Saturday's GI Central Bank Ashland S. with a half-mile work in :48.60 (12/32) at Keeneland Sunday. Working well off the rail under exercise rider Lucas Berticelli, Jaywalk produced fractions of :11.80, :23.40, :48.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.20.
“Perfect,” Tyler Servis, son of trainer John Servis, said of the work. “She had her major work last week [six furlongs in company in 1:14.40 at Palm Meadows] and we did what we wanted this morning without much of a gallop out.”
Jaywalk, who captured last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and was named champion 2-year-old filly, will be looking to rebound from a fourth-place effort while making her sophomore debut in the Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S.
“We didn't want her to peak too soon,” Servis said of the Davona Dale. “She is a light-framed filly like a lot of fillies from the Unbridled's Song line, and I think the heat in Florida got to her a little bit.”
Also working for the Servis barn Sunday morning was Cash is King and Leonard Green's Lucky Lee (Flatter), who is expected to go postward in Saturday's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Lucky Lee covered a half-mile in :49.00 (17/32) with internal splits of :12 and :24, again well off the rail.
“Same as Jaywalk; perfect,” Servis said of the work.
A two-time winner at Parx last fall, Lucky Lee is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Feb. 2 GIII Withers S.
“In the Withers, he was just spinning his wheels,” Servis said. “He was coming off a tight track in Florida and that track was cuppy and he never got hold of the track.”
Also working for the Ashland, Mar. 16 GIII Honeybee S. winner Chocolate Kisses (Candy Ride {Arg}) worked a half-mile in :50.00 (23/32) at Keeneland Sunday for trainer Mark Casse. Working in company with the 3-year-old maiden winner Furiously Fast (Violence), Chocolate Kisses posted fractions of :12.60, :24.60, :37.60 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.40.
“She ran well here last fall and she has confidence coming into the Ashland off a win,” said David Carroll, who is overseeing Casse's Keeneland string. “She needs pace to run at, and the Honeybee set up real well for her.”
Unbeaten in two starts this term, Chocolate Kisses was fourth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland last October.
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