First Graded Try on the ‘Agenda’ for ‘Rising Star’

[Wandering Eyes]

‘TDN Rising Star‘ Jenda’s Agenda (Proud Citizen) looks to increase her career record to five-for-six while making her first graded stakes start in Friday’s GIII Doubledogdare S. at Keeneland. Bred and owned by trainer Larry Jones and wife Cindy when she romped by 6 1/4 lengths first out at Fair Grounds last January, the daughter of MGSW Just Jenda (Menifee) was bought into by Rick Porter’s Fox Hill Farm before adding two more tallies at three, including Laurel’s Caesar’s Wish S. that March. Subsequently sidelined due to bone bruising, the bay was second to a very in-form foe when cut back to a sprint in New Orleans Feb. 1, but she returned to winning ways back at two turns in Hot Springs Mar. 17. “She has done well since her race at Oaklawn and done well here,” Larry Jones said. “Friday will be her first start in a graded stakes, so hopefully we can move onward and upward.”

Another ‘Rising Star‘ looking to break through at the graded level is Stonestreet homebred Valadorna (Curlin). A close second in the 2016 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, the Mark Casse pupil hasn’t yet quite reached the heights she seemed like she might at that point. She became a stakes winner in the Tiffany Lass S. at Fair Grounds on Dec. 26, but faded to sixth in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. a month or so later.

Well Humored (Distorted Humor) is three-for-three on dirt, and stepped up markedly on the Beyer Speed Figure scale when she earned a 93 in defeating Tapa Tapa Tapa (Tapit) in Tampa’s Wayward Lass S. last time out Jan. 20.

 

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