Segesta dead-heats in the Gr.1 Jenny Wiley Stakes

In a photo finish that took the stewards several minutes to decipher, the Grade 1  Jenny Wiley at Keeneland on Saturday finished in a thrilling dead-heat between Segesta and Expensive Queen.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 12th April 2026, by Stefanie Grimm:

In a tale of two trips, the five-year-old mares broke from opposite ends of the gate but ran much of the race in close proximity to one another. Frontrunner Aussie Girl had
Segesta right off her flank in second while Expensive Queen held her position along rail in third through opening fractions of :23.10 and 47.46.

Segesta looked to have a dream run around the far turn and into the top of the lane as the speed threw in the towel, hitting the front under Flavien Prat inside the furlong pole. But Expensive Queen now had company and, stuck in behind horses, had to work her way through the crowd. Able to find just the seam she needed along the fence, she split horses and burst through to engage the favorite who was now sandwiched with Medoro to her outside. In a grinding effort through the final strides, Expensive Queen
just drew even on the fence with Segesta in a last-gasp bob to complete the dead-heat.

"I was riding her pretty hard and she was giving me a good turn of foot," said Luis Saez who was aboard Expensive Queen. "I know it was kind of tight there but I just tried to look for the spot. We found the rail and she made a huge move. I thought we were going to run on by but the other filly (Segesta) - she's a pretty good filly and she came back - so that's why we get the (dead) heat."

"I thought I got beat," Prat acknowledged of Segesta. "She was traveling good - I thought I was in a good spot. Very good run turning for home, she stayed with the field, then she reengaged herself."

Juddmonte's Garrett O'Rourke added: "She looked a winner until about the sixteenth pole, and then Flavien (Prat) said he went to the outside to engage a filly and then the other filly (Expensive Queen) came up the inside. When I saw it on the replay, I turned around and said: 'I'll take a dead heat there.' I meant I thought we were maybe
out-nosed, and then when it flashed up on the screen and it came up 1-10, I turned around and went: 'Argh - we got beat' and then everyone said: 'No, it's a dead heat.' So it's up-and-down emotions."

"I'm delighted for the filly. She=s very deserving of it and had come so close in Grade 1s for so long. We did win a Grade 1 in the Matriarch, but we still got (Juddmonte's) agreement to keep her in training this year. That's a risk to take with a filly like that. Straight out credit to  Chad (Brown) for having her so ready to do this today. So very rewarding."