Cross Traffic filly gets first stakes win at Woodbine

Jill Jitterbug’s strong stretch rally earned the 3-year-old Cross Traffic filly her first stakes in in the $125,000 Star Shoot S. over Woodbine’s synthetic surface.

Jill Jitterbug capped a terrific April for Cross Traffic that saw his 3-year-old filly win the Ashland S. (G1), Here Mi Song win Keeneland’s Commonwealth S. (G3) and Dame Plata place in the Highland Ice S.

Unhurried out of the gate, Jill Jitterbug was sixth after the first quarter-mile, about three lengths from the front. She was three-wide on the turn and made up some ground to be fourth coming into the stretch. She hit her best stride with a furlong to run and was poised to pass leader Blind Spot when that one veered into Jill Jitterbug’s path, causing her to take up sharply. She re-rallied to get within a neck at the wire, and was named the winner following a steward’s inquiry.

Jill Jitterbug is owned by Anne Walsh and was bred by her trainer Ryan Walsh. She was second in a pair of stakes in the past two months at Turfway Park and has now earned $182,156, with a mark of 3-2-0 in seven starts.