Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing's Concrete Rose (Twirling Candy), stretching out off an impressive debut win at Saratoga, had no issue with two turns and blew her competition away in the GII JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. Wednesday at Keeneland. The victory in the 'Win and You're In' qualifier sealed a spot in the starting gate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Finishing furiously to score going away at 12-1 in her 5 1/2-furlong unveiling Aug. 20 on the lawn at the Spa, the dark bay was made the 13-5 second choice in this stakes debut and broke best of all to take an early lead before deferring to sit in the pocket. Tracking from fourth through splits of :23.34 and :48.04, Concrete Rose was patiently handled as rivals stacked up in front of her on the far turn, angled four deep at the head of the lane and soon swept to the lead with a powerful turn of foot to score by three lengths over Pakhet (Cairo Prince).
“We thought the sprint was too short,” winning trainer Rusty Arnold said. “We thought two turns was what she wanted. When she won that day, we pointed to this race. We had almost two months to be ready.
“We are going to the Breeders' Cup if everything's right; that was the plan. My biggest concern here was getting in the race. We were worried all week about getting in, and when we did we were pretty relaxed.”
Pedigree Notes:
Concrete Rose becomes the fourth graded winner and 13th stakes winner for sire Twirling Candy. Concrete Rose is the most recent produce from the three-time winner Solerina. Solerina was claimed for $22,500 by Ann Marie Farm and trainer Lloyd Mason in her career finale at Santa Anita in January of 2012. David Ingordo signed the slip on Concrete Rose for $61,000 (private sale) at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale after she breezed an eighth in :10 2/5.
Wednesday, Keeneland
JPMORGAN CHASE JESSAMINE S.-GII, $200,000, Keeneland, 10-10, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.09, fm.
1–CONCRETE ROSE, 118, f, 2, by Twirling Candy&log=">Twirling Candy
1st Dam: Solerina, by Powerscourt (GB)
2nd Dam: Sky Blue Girl (GB), by Sabrehill
3rd Dam: Nemea, by The Minstrel
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($19,000
RNA Wlg '16 KEENOV; $20,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; $61,000 2yo '18
EASMAY). O-Ashbrook Farm & BBN Racing, LLC; B-Ron
Patterson (KY); T-George R. Arnold, II; J-Jose Lezcano.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $166,750.
Werk Nick Rating: F.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pakhet, 118, f, 2, Cairo Prince–Hunting Hill, by Hard Spun.
($100,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; $130,000 2yo '18 OBSMAR).
O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Brandywine Farm (Jim &
Pam Robinson) (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Belle Laura, 118, f, 2, Mucho Macho Man–Belle Chaussee, by
Giant's Causeway. ($32,000 Ylg '17 FTKOCT). O-GU Racing
Stable, LLC; B-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (KY); T-Norm W.
Casse. $20,000.
Margins: 3, NK, 3/4. Odds: 2.60, 13.80, 48.70.
Also Ran: Fierce Scarlett, Princesa Carolina, Speedy Solution, Irish Willow, City Diva, Lightscameraaction, Zalia, Monkeys Uncle, Lucky Girasol, Espresso Shot. Scratched: Moravia (GB), My Gal Betty, No Mo Temper. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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