2022 Jenny Wiley Stakes Replay & Reaction | Regal Glory, Shantisara Complete Chad Brown Barn Exacta

The track press release:

Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.

Jose Ortiz (winning rider of Regal Glory)

“She’s easy to ride. She’s a little funny with her mouth, but I just let her be alone and let her be her. I don’t try to put her forward all the time, don’t fight her. I think we’ve got her figured out now with the help of (trainer) Chad (Brown). He has her in great form. I think she’s the best mare in the division right now, and we’ll try to keep winning, hopefully.

“She’s getting older, and she’s had a lot of seasoning. She loves this kind of ground, and Chad has done an amazing job. He’s been patient with her, and she’s really nice.”

Chad Brown (winning trainer, who also conditions runner-up Shantisara [IRE])

“I’m a lucky guy with owners like Mr. (Peter) Brant and plenty before him that have sent me a lot of nice fillies, and I had a great teacher (the late Hall of Famer trainer Bobby Frankel). I just read yesterday I’m tied with Bobby’s record (with four wins in the Jenny Wiley; today Brown won the race for the fifth time), and I was thinking of him walking down here. I spent a few Jenny Wileys in the Paddock with him when I was working for him and he taught me a lot. Luckily, I’ve had the horses and the team to work with these horses. 

“Jose (Ortiz) was being very modest there (saying she’s easy to ride). She’s a tricky horse to ride, and he deserves a lot of credit. He showed her versatility. He’s adapted to a lot of situations out of the gate with her. 

“I especially want to thank Mr. Brant for not only stepping up and buying her here at Keeneland (at the 2021 January Horses of All Ages Sale for $925,000) out of the dispersal for (breeder) Mr. (Paul) Pompa, another dear friend and client of ours. It was (Brant’s) call to keep her in training this year. I probably would have bred her, and he said, ‘No, she’s in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year,’ and so far he’s right.

“She’s extremely competitive. She knows where that wire is, and with Shantisara (IRE) – that’s a real horse running at her. For (Regal Glory) to hold her off and to show she can get a mile and a sixteenth twice now. It looks like she could even go a little bit farther.”

Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Lady Speightspeare)

“She broke a little bit up (in the air). Right at the start, she tried to move too much. After that, she ran her race. I know the winner and the second were really good, but she was trying and finished third and ran a great race.”

Roger Attfield (trainer of Lady Speightspeare)

“She has been absolutely golden with the (calming) blanket on (in the starting gate.) Until today. The blanket came off (as intended), but she reared up with the blanket on. The blanket had kept her from rearing in her other races. Why I don’t know – she schools every week with it on. The rearing certainly did not help her chances, but we are pleased she got up to be third.”