by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — After a seventh place finish as the second choice in a $35,350 She’s A Great Lady elimination on August 25, 2012, at Mohawk Racetrack, Jerseylicious, last year’s Sweetheart victress, enjoyed a short sabbatical and it seems the time off last fall primed her for this year’s campaign.

“She was probably one of the nicest 2-year-olds I ever had,” said veteran conditioner Wayne Givens. “She had seven starts and I just thought that was enough for a 2-year-old.”

The daughter of Western Ideal-Jet Lag N is owned by Legacy Racing of DE and Pamela Curran. Raised by Givens, Jerseylicious is the third of four foals from her dam and is the best her dam has thrown. BJ’s Jupiter (by Art Major) is the only other foal at this time that has competed on a racing oval and the 5-year-old gelding sports two triumphs with a mark of 1:52.4.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Jerseylicious was a neck winner over Nikki Beach in the 2012 Sweetheart.

In her first season of racing, Jerseylicious paced seven miles with a record of 1-4-1 and purse earnings of $191,106. She broke her maiden in the $268,300 Sweetheart on August 4 at the Meadowlands at odds of 9-1, but was second in a $14,232 John Simpson Memorial division at the Meadowlands on June 29, a $25,000 New Jersey Sire Stakes leg on July 13, another $23,000 Sire Stake on August 10 and in the $150,000 NJSS final on August 17.

After her only off the board finish, Jerseylicious returned to the races this year on Feb. 12 at Dover Downs in a $6,500 non-winners contest and is a perfect four for four in 2013. Her last performance on March 11 in a $13,000 non-winners race was the fastest mile she has ever traveled with a final time of 1:50.3.

“She came back just like I thought she would,” Givens said. “I was shooting for a 3-year-old filly series at the Meadowlands and they didn’t write it. She is in a series at Pocono and she is staked to just about everything. Corey Callahan has done a great job driving her.”

Callahan has held the reins in all 11 of the filly’s starts and although Givens was thrilled with her last mile, her performance in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final last year truly snatched his attention.

“It doesn’t matter where she is,” he said. “She is good on the front or good on the back. The only time she was on the front was as a 2-year-old in the Sire Stakes final. She came home in :26.2 and just got beat by the horse that sat on her back after she set the fractions. It was kind of impressive.”

Fotowon photo

In her last start, Jerseylicious lowered her lifetime mark to 1:50.3.

Her conditioner was also captivated by her last mile.

“I didn’t think she would have to go that much that quick, but it was how the race set up,” Givens said. “The half was in :55.1 and it was like a training mile for her. No one asked her to go and she did it well within herself. So far, that is the way it has been and she has done everything on her own.”

With a long year ahead of her, Jerseylicious appears to be prepared for a very successful second year of campaigning.

“From Day One she has been perfect,” Givens said. “She has never done one thing wrong.”