Concrete Rose Much the Best in Jessamine Stakes

Ask trainer Rusty Arnold to recount what went right in Concrete Rose's first career start, and the only thing he'll point to is the result.

Her break was off. She ducked in. She didn't get her correct lead. She basically ran like the baby she is but had enough talent to hit the wire first in an Aug. 20 5 1/2-furlong turf test at Saratoga Race Course nonetheless.

Given that the daughter of Twirling Candy  prevailed despite repeatedly making things difficult for herself, the hope was that if her professionalism increased just a hair, her ability would be even more evident when facing a dozen other 2-year-old fillies in the $200,000 JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland Oct. 10. Indeed, Concrete Rose put every foot right in running her competition off their feet during a three-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile test, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs, the final Breeders' Cup Challenge race of 2018.

"Today was the complete opposite (of her debut)," Arnold grinned. " She was like a pro today."

The really good juveniles can grow up in a hurry, and Concrete Rose demonstrated in her debut she had that little something extra to her.

Despite her erratic ways, she made a huge run in the Saratoga lane to win by 1 3/4 lengths and galloped out in a way that touted her ability over added distance. So confident was Arnold off what he saw that he entered the filly in the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) against males at Keeneland Oct. 7 as a backup in case she didn't draw into the Jessamine field.

"I was concerned, so I nominated her to the colt race, and I would run her against colts if we had not got in today," the Kentucky-based conditioner said. " We are really confident in her ability. I know everyone thought … are you worried about her stretching out. But her pedigree wants her to stretch out.

"We were worried about inexperience, only having one race. That's what we were worried about."

The betting public took notice of Concrete Rose's maiden outing, sending her off at 5-2 odds, second choice in the 13-horse Jessamine field. And when she got away well out of post 4 under Jose Lezcano and settled in third along the inside through an opening half-mile in :48.04, Arnold started breathing much easier.

"I felt really good. I knew we weren't going to have a lot of traffic problems," said Arnold, who conditions Concrete Rose for Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing. "I knew (Lezcano) had a lot of horse, you could just visually tell it. She let those horses break and outfoot her and laid in behind them and did everything right today."

The clear advantage pacesetter City Diva held down the backside, but the advantage began to shrink entering the far turn as Monkeys Uncle and Irish Willow came up to her outside to mount a challenge. As they entered the top of the lane, Lezcano angled Concrete Rose three wide past the leaders and let her open up nearly five lengths in the stretch as Pakhet and 48-1 shot Belle Laura both put in good rallies to get second and third, respectively.

"She broke very good. The leader (City Diva) tried to slow the pace down around the first turn," Lezcano said. "She (Concrete Rose) did it for me. She set up very good, and when I asked her at the quarter pole, she went on to win the race."

The final time for the distance was 1:44.09 over a course rated firm. Race favorite Fierce Scarlett was fourth with Princesa Carolina fifth. Moravia, My Gal Betty, and No Mo Temper were scratched from the field.

Bred in Kentucky by Ron Patterson out of the Powerscourt mare Solerina, Concrete Rose was purchased by David Ingordo for $61,000 out of this year's Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

"We are going to the Breeders' Cup if everything's right; that was the plan," Arnold said. 

Video: JPMorgan Chase Jessamine S. (G2T)