After romp, Shimmering Aspen may try stakes company

From a Maryland Jockey Club release

Hillwood Stable’s Shimmering Aspen cruised to her third consecutive victory in Saturday’s featured eighth race, an impressive front-running performance that may land her in stakes company for her next start.

Shimmering Aspen ($3.80) was never threatened from her rail post under a hand ride from jockey Steve Hamilton, drawing off effortlessly in the stretch to win by seven lengths in 1:23.25 for seven furlongs. The Malibu Moon filly was favored at 4-5 in the $45,000 second-level optional claiming allowance, her second straight win against older horses.

“I was very, very pleased. That was her fourth start and she’s a 3-year-old against older horses and I thought she did it awful easy,” trainer Rodney Jenkins said. “I haven’t seen anything kind of head her since her maiden start [when she was third]. I love her. She’s a heckuva filly.”

Jenkins said the $150,000 Adena Springs Miss Preakness (G3) at six furlongs or even the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2) at 1 1/8 miles, each restricted to 3-year-old fillies, could be on the horizon for Shimmering Aspen. Both races will be run May 19 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

Jenkins purchased Shimmering Aspen, a daughter of multiple stakes-winning mare Aspenglow, for $200,000 at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale at Timonium Fairgrounds in October 2015.

“I had planned back when I first bought her to run her in the Miss Preakness. She went seven-eighths today in a cruise, so I don’t know. I’ll make a decision here before long, see how she comes back and we’ll do what’s right by her,” Jenkins said. “If she can go the mile and an eighth … she went that seven furlongs like breaking sticks. He never even asked her, really. He took hold of her the last eighth of a mile.”