Segesta, Expensive Queen Finish in Dead Heat at Jenny Wiley

The two mares battled to the wire in the $650,000 turf race at Keeneland.

Apr. 11, 2026 at 10:08pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting depicting the final stretch of a horse race, with the two winning horses surging towards the finish line in a climactic dead heat, their forms broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric planes of motion.The dramatic dead heat finish of the Jenny Wiley Stakes captured in a cubist, geometric painting style.Del Mar Today

In a thrilling edition of the 1 1/16-mile Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, favorites Segesta and Expensive Queen (Ire) finished in a dead heat for the victory. Medoro finished third in the race for older fillies and mares.

Why it matters

The Jenny Wiley is a prestigious Grade 1 turf race that attracts some of the top older female horses in the country. A dead heat finish is an extremely rare occurrence, highlighting the close competition and high level of talent in the field.

The details

Segesta, the Ghostzapper mare trained by Chad Brown, broke from post 10 and tracked the early leader Deep Satin closely. Expensive Queen (Ire), conditioned by Brendan Walsh, broke from the inside post and settled in third before making a strong late run. The two favorites battled down the stretch, with Segesta clinging to a slim lead, but Expensive Queen surged to catch her at the wire for the dead heat finish.

  • Segesta won the Matriarch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar on November 30, 2025, in her previous start.
  • The Jenny Wiley Stakes was run on April 11, 2026 at Keeneland.

The players

Segesta

A Ghostzapper mare trained by Chad Brown who was making her first start since winning the Matriarch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar in November 2025.

Expensive Queen (Ire)

A Lope de Vega mare conditioned by Brendan Walsh who scored her first career Grade 1 victory in the Jenny Wiley.

Medoro

The horse that finished third in the Jenny Wiley Stakes.

Chad Brown

The trainer of Segesta.

Brendan Walsh

The trainer of Expensive Queen (Ire).

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What they’re saying

“It was an incredibly close and exciting finish. Both mares really brought their 'A' game today.”

— Chad Brown, Trainer of Segesta

“I'm thrilled with how Expensive Queen performed. She really dug deep to catch Segesta at the wire.”

— Brendan Walsh, Trainer of Expensive Queen (Ire)

What’s next

The connections of both Segesta and Expensive Queen will now likely target additional Grade 1 turf races for older fillies and mares later in the spring and summer.

The takeaway

This dead heat finish in the prestigious Jenny Wiley Stakes showcases the high level of competition among the top turf distaffers in the country. Both Segesta and Expensive Queen proved they are elite-level performers capable of winning at the highest level.