Stuart Grant of The Elkstone Group is no stranger to top fillies. In the past few years, the Delaware attorney has owned in partnership dual Eclipse Award-winning champion Monomoy Girl and champion 2-year-old filly British Idiom. Which is why when his homebred filly Jester Calls Nojoy demolished a field of maidens Sept. 5 at Saratoga Race Course, the daughter of Maclean’s Music looked poised to become Grant’s next stable star.
In her next start, the Oct. 3 Frizette Stakes (G1), Jester Calls Noyjoy bobbled at the start and was rushed into contention in the early stages. The bay appeared visibly unsettled in between horses before tiring during the stretch run to check in sixth behind likely Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) favorite Echo Zulu .
After two :48 1/5 half-mile works over the training track at Belmont Park for trainer Todd Pletcher, Jester Calls Nojoy should appreciate the cutback in trip and softer company in the Oct. 29 $150,000 six-furlong Myrtlewood Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Keeneland. Breaking from the inside slot, the bay secures the services of Joel Rosario.
Castleton Lyons’ Chi Town Lady , back to the dirt after an unplaced effort in the Oct. 10 Futurity Stakes (G3T) against the boys, should prove a formidable rival breaking outside from post 9 under Florent Geroux. The Wesley Ward trainee, a stakes winner on the turf at Saratoga, graduated by three lengths in her April 11 debut over the Keeneland main track.