Social media fan favorite Juba has been entered in the G3 Westchester Handicap to be run Saturday, May 2 at Belmont Park. This will be Juba’s first Stakes Race and he will face a formidable field of five. The 2013 and 2014 Belmont Stakes winners, Palace Malice and Tonalist, will also be starters in the one mile race.
Never off the board in his five lifetime starts, Juba broke his maiden running six and one-half furlongs at Gulfstream Park on March 18 and won his next start out at Aqueduct on April 4th in a first level allowance condition race going seven furlongs. His time of 1:23.58 in his last start was faster than the winner of the Carter Handicap on the same card. A bullet work going five furlongs in :59.45 last Friday made the option of the Westchester a real possibility.
President Don Little noted, “This horse seems to be on top of his game right now so after discussing it with Dr. Steve Carr and trainer Jimmy Jerkens, we figured why not give him a shot. We know it’s a step up to run against some of these seasoned Grade 1 winners but he has shown us he deserves the chance. Angel Arroyo has the mount for the first time as previous rider Luis Saez with be at Churchill Downs. It is exciting in many ways especially with the fact that our current Grade 1 winner, Wicked Strong, is in the same partnership.”
Post time for Saturday’s Sixth race is 2:53 EDT.
Race update as of April 30: Palace Malice has been scratched out of the race due to a foot bruise.
Photo by Adam Coglianese
