Jk My Girl stepped up from the conditioned ranks at Running Aces to the $20,205 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace on Thursday, July 17, and she prevailed at the top class for the first time in more than two years.

Scorecard Dandy (Dean Magee) blasted off the gate from post three to take control while Jk My Girl (Nick Roland) secured the pocket from post four and Premier Desirey (Jessie Pacheco) left fast from post six to drop in third during the :27.3 opening quarter. Deja Vu Babyboo (Billy Mann) tipped out from fourth for a first-over bid and applied some pressure to the leader during the middle splits of :57.1 and 1:24.4 while Lloyds Loves (Brady Jenson), the 5-2 favourite, followed her cover.

Scorecard Dandy still had control until the top of the lane, but Jk My Girl began to rally at the pylons, and she had plenty of pace to go after the leader. Scorecard Dandy dug in gamely, and those two battled stride-for-stride to the wire, with Jk My Girl surging at just the right moment to grab the victory by a neck in 1:52.3. Premier Desirey came home two lengths behind that pair for third, and Lloyds Loves was fourth.

Jk My Girl ($9.20) is a six-year-old daughter of Jk Endofanera-Jk Fannie. She now shows 22 wins and $270,642 in earnings from 105 career starts. Bob Lems trains the mare, now a winner of three straight, for owner Erika Huffman.

Drivers Luke Plano and Billy Mann each had triples on the Thursday card, while Plano and Bob Lems both recorded training doubles.

Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday for an 11-race program with first post set for 6 p.m. (CDT). 

(With files from Running Aces)