House Rules Overcomes Start for Rampart Win
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Joseph Shields Jr.'s House Rules overcame a bump at the start and survived an objection to win her first graded stakes Feb. 21—the $100,000 Rampart (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park .
The 4-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor sat three lengths off the pace as heavily-favored Wedding Toast pushed for the lead with longshots Flutterby and Sheer Drama, then passed all three just after the quarter pole and held on for a 1 1/2-length victory.
She covered the one-turn mile for older fillies and mares on a fast track in 1:36.93.
"I had to go wide a little bit around the turn and it cost me a couple lengths, but I didn't have a choice," winning jockey Javier Castellano said.
House Rules drifted in late, causing second-place finisher Sheer Drama, at odds of 22-1, to steady near the eighth pole. Sheer Drama's trainer, David Fawkes, and jockey Joe Bravo both filed objections, but stewards ruled the infraction did not impact the race's result.
Out of Mutakddim mare Teamgeist, House Rules went off at 3-1 and paid $8.00, $4.60, and $3.00.
The favorite by Street Sense broke well and challenged early leader Flutterby, who ran the opening quarter in :23.52 and the half in :45.95 before fading badly. House Rules led the group after six furlongs in 1:10.17.
"After watching the head-on (replay), I wasn't worried," said House Rules' trainer, James Jerkens. "I don't think she came in much and it looked like the horse on the inside (Wedding Toast) came out a little."
Sheer Drama edged Wedding Toast by a head, and paid $13.80 and $4.00. Wedding Toast, a five-time winner, including the Comely Stakes (gr. III) in 2013, left the gate at 4-5 and paid $2.40 to show. The exacta returned $107.40. Oasis At Midnight, Got Lucky, Flutterby and Thank You Marylou completed the order of finish.
Bred in Kentucky by El Catorce and Winstar Farm, House Rules increased her career earnings to $374,503 with the win and pushed her record to 5-3-0 in 14 starts. She was purchased for $90,000 by agent Leverett Miller from the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale when consigned by Fourstarsales. It was her fourth win in five starts at the mile distance.