G1 winner Juliet Foxtrot heads G3 Mint Julep

(Photo: Juliet Foxtrot winning the G1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland under Tyler Gaffalione. Coady Photography)

LOUISVILLE, KY (Thursday, June 10, 2021) – Juddmonte and trainer Brad Cox were not originally planning to run Grade I winner Juliet Foxtrot (GB) in Saturday night’s $150,000 Old Forester Mint Julep (GIII) at Churchill Downs but the team altered her campaign in hopes they would get rewarded in the 1 1/16-mile turf event.

    “Originally, we were targeting the (May 31) Grade I Gamely (at Santa Anita),” Cox said. “Her bloodwork was a little off before the race and we didn’t want to ship her across country. Luckily, the Mint Julep allowed us to stay at home.”

    Juliet Foxtrot, who won the Jenny Wiley (GI) at Keeneland in her previous start, was made the 6-5 morning line favorite in the 11-horse Old Forester Mint Julep field of fillies and mares.

    The now 6-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB) has one win over the Matt Winn Turf Course when she made her second start in 2019 for Cox after being transferred from European-based conditionerCharles Hills. Since her stateside-debut, Juliet Foxtrot has reeled off five wins from 12 starts with two runner-up efforts and three third-place finishes.

    Even though Juliet Foxtrot’s plans were adjusted from running in the Gamely, she never missed a published workout since the Jenny Wiley and breezed four times over the turf at Churchill Downs.

    Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard Juliet Foxtrot for her two-length Jenny Wiley victory, has the return call from post No. 2.

    The 1 1/16-mile Old Forester Mint Julep is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 10:11 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race Downs After Dark program gets underway at 6 p.m.

    The complete field for the Mint Julep from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds):Mintd (IRE) (Ricardo Santana Jr., Brendan Walsh, 12-1); Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Gaffalione, Cox, 6-5);Hendy Woods (Florent Geroux, Mark Casse, 6-1); Vezpa (BRZ) (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo, 30-1);Lashara (GB) (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse, 20-1); Dominga (Shaun Bridgmohan, Cox, 8-1); Flash n’ Dance (Marcelino Pedroza, Marcus O’Donnell, 30-1); Tuned (GB) (David Cohen, Graham Motion, 12-1); Crystal Ball (James Graham, Rodolphe Brisset, 6-1); Sister Hanan (Corey Lanerie, Ben Colebrook, 10-1); She’sonthewarpath (Adam Beschizza, Steve Margolis, 8-1).