by Jennie Rees, Eclipse Award Winning Turf Writer
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Saturday, July 9, 2022) – The 4-year-old filly Semble Juste closed with a rush on Brian Hernandez Jr. to nail Lovely Ride on the wire in taking Horseshoe Indianapolis’ $100,000 Mari Hulman George Memorial by a nose Saturday.
“When I first turned for home, the ones in front of me were stopping pretty good,” Hernandez said. “So I was like, ‘I’m going to be able to run them down pretty easily.’ But then that filly (Lovely Ride) kind of surged a little past the eighth pole, and I got a little worried I wasn’t going to be able to get to her. But then within the last four jumps, my filly just gutted it out and wanted to get by her.”
Lovely Ride stalked the methodical pace set by 6-5 favorite Misty Veil over a track left muddy by Friday and overnight rains. She took over in mid-turn and appeared home free in the last eighth-mile until Semble Juste swept up.
“I thought she put in a good effort,” said jockey David Cohen, who rode Lovely Ride for trainer Robertino Diodoro. “She’s had a little time off since her last race (March 26) and may have needed it. But she put in a great effort. The horse that beat her put in a little better.”
The Irish-bred Semble Juste covered the 1 1/16 miles over a sealed track rated “muddy” in 1:45.82, following fractions of 24.21 seconds, 48.19,1:12.69, 1:39.05. She paid $10.60 to win as the third choice in the field of six fillies and mares.
Semble Juste now is 4-1-2 in 18 starts, earning $220,646 with the $59,400 payday for owners Rick Greenberg, Patty Slevin, Paul Greenberg and the Magdalena Racing partnership headed by trainer Kenny McPeek and his wife, Sherri.
“We’re thrilled,” Kenny McPeek said by phone. “Rick Greenberg was there. We’re really proud of her. She just keeps getting a little bit better and better and better. Rick always wanted to keep her as a broodmare. I said, ‘If you’re going to do that, we need to get some black type.’”
In becoming a stakes-winner, Semble Juste won back-to-back races for the first time in her career, having won a June 30 allowance race at Churchill Downs under Julien Leparoux.
McPeek issued his instructions to Hernandez through assistant trainer Greg Geier, the jockey saying cheerfully, “When we got in the paddock, Greg says, ‘Kenny just called and said mimic what Julien did.’”
It was another 3 1/2 lengths back to Lady Frosted, followed by Temper Time, Current Climate, and the tiring Misty Veil.
Photos by Coady Photography
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