Rabbah Bloodstock’s Choisya has a chance Saturday to join some exclusive company when she goes postward in the 28th running of the $800,000 First Lady (G1) for fillies and mares going a mile on the turf.

Choisya made her U.S. debut here in April, winning the Jenny Wiley (G1). A victory Saturday in the First Lady would put her with Never Retreat (2011) and Intercontinental (2005) as the only horses to win both races in the same year.

“She’s in good form and training well,” said John Clarke, who was aboard Choisya for an open gallop on Keeneland’s training track Thursday morning.

Following her Jenny Wiley victory, Choisya returned to Europe but came back to Saratoga in June for the Just a Game (G1) Presented by Resolute Racing, in which she finished seventh.

“There was a lot of rain that week, and it was very wet and yielding,” said Clarke, assistant to trainer Simon Crisford. “If we had been back home, she wouldn’t have run.”

Choisya remained at Saratoga for the Dunkin’ Diana (G1), in which she finished fourth going 1⅛ miles over a turf course rated as good.

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“She got a short break back home after that,” Clarke said. “A race at Leopardstown (in Ireland) was a possibility, but we were worried about catching soft turf.”

Soft is a condition Choisya will not find on Saturday, with no rain in the forecast and temperatures in the 80s.

“Fast ground with the tight turns, that’s how she likes it,” said Clarke, who made his first trip to Keeneland this spring when he accompanied Choisya for the Jenny Wiley.

Frankie Dettori has the mount Saturday and will exit post 1.

Kentucky Downs Near Miss Propels Rose Room Into Friday’s Jessamine Presented By Keeneland Sales

An intriguing entrant in Friday’s $400,000 Jessamine (G2) Presented by Keeneland Sales is Godolphin homebred Rose Room, who arrived at Keeneland Thursday morning from trainer Mike Stidham’s base at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

This is her second trip to Kentucky, with the first being a near miss by a neck in finishing fourth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies (L) going a mile on Aug. 31.

“Going down the backside, she was switching leads and trying to find her footing,” Stidham said. “Florent (Geroux) let her settle, but he didn’t know if he had any horse. He straightened her out for home, and here she comes. One more jump, and she wins it.”

Rose Room debuted at Delaware Park on Aug. 7, winning a 7½-furlong grass test by two lengths.

“We didn’t know early on what we had. She was not precocious,” Stidham said. “In her first race, she kicked in when she needed to, and we decided to take a shot at Kentucky Downs.

“She is a half to Pixelate, who won the (WinStar) Mint Millions (G3) in 2021, so we figured like brother, like sister. We were almost right.”

The 1 1/16-mile Jessamine Presented by Keeneland Sales is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race that awards the winner a fees-paid berth into the $1 million John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) going a mile on Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Oct 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.