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Rutherienne closes fastest of all to win Jenny Wiley thriller

Rutherienne shows her staunch determination approaching the wire (Pat Lang/Keeneland) Virginia Kraft Payson's homebred RUTHERIENNE (Pulpit) hit a home run in the stretch of Saturday's $200,000 Jenny Wiley S. (G2) at Keeneland, uncorking a strong late rally to win by a neck. Making her first start of the season, the Grade 1-winning filly improved to six-for-six at the 1 1/16-mile distance while moving her stellar record to 11-9-0-0, $744,975. The four-year-old has notched eight stakes wins under the direction of Christophe Clement. Sent off the 6-1 fourth choice in an outstanding 10-horse field of turf distaffers, Rutherienne and jockey Garrett Gomez lagged at the back of the pack while pacesetter Candy Ball (Lemon Drop Kid) established soft early fractions in :25 1/5, :50 2/5 and 1:15 1/5. Rutherienne exited the far turn full of run, splitting horses in the final furlong while accelerating toward the wire, and gamely prevailed in a tight four-horse finish. Runner-up Stormy West (Gone West), a 23-1 outsider, gave an excellent account of herself while stepping up in class for Bill Mott, and millionaire Lady of Venice (Fr) (Loup Solitaire) closed determinedly on the far outside to finish another head back in third. It was another head back to Roshani (Fantastic Light), who made the lead in the stretch before weakening slightly to fourth.

"When she found her daylight, she went ahead and sprinted on home," Gomez said of the winner. "Christophe did a tremendous job getting her ready. He gave me plenty of horse to have a trip with. She came home really good for us."

Rutherienne returned $14, $7.60 and $4.40 after completing 8 1/2 furlongs over the firm turf in 1:44 3/5. Stormy West paid $18 and $7.60, and Lady of Venice was good for $4.40 at 4-1. The exacta yielded $253, the trifecta $2,030.80 and the 4-6-9-2 superfecta, with the 6-1 Roshani on the bottom, was worth a whopping $10,853.20. Multiple Grade 1 heroine Precious Kitten (Catienus), the 5-2 favorite, came next under the wire and was followed by 7-2 second choice Bit of Whimsy (Distorted Humor), Candy Ball, Swingit (Victory Gallop), Arravale (Arch) and Sealy Hill (Point Given).

Out of the stakes-winning Ruthian (Rahy), the Kentucky-bred Rutherienne is a three-quarters sister to the stakes-placed sophomore colt Big Wig (A.P. Indy) and has an unnamed juvenile half-brother by Vindication; a yearling half-sister by Afleet Alex; and a 2008 full sister. Rutherienne's fifth dam is Tempted (*Half Crown), the champion handicap mare of 1959 who covered herself in glory at Saratoga, with back-to-back tallies in the Diana H. as well as a score in the Alabama S.

Clement said the Gamely S. (G1) at Hollywood Park on May 26 or the Just a Game H. (G1) at Belmont Park on June 7 are possible targets for Rutherienne's next start.

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