Shamrock Rose Makes Her Own Luck in Raven Run Win
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Shamrock Rose wins the Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland
If you put your hand over the competition Shamrock Rose was set to face in the $250,000 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2) Oct. 20 and just studied her form, there was reason to think her first graded stakes triumph stood a good chance of being added to her résumé Saturday.
She won her two prior starts by a combined 14 3/4 lengths. Her maiden triumph had come in a stakes race, and in her second career outing, she was only bested by her future Canadian classic-winning stablemate Wonder Gadot.
The proven company Shamrock Rose was up against in the seven-furlong Raven Run relegated her to the status of 18-1 longshot, but it was the filly's unquestionable momentum that indeed ended up winning out. Under smart handling from jockey Tyler Gaffalione, the daughter of First Dude was able to overtake pacesetter Blamed midway down the lane to score a 2 1/2-length victory over a fast Keeneland main track.
"The filly came in to us full of confidence," beamed David Carroll, assistant to Shamrock Rose's trainer, Mark Casse. "She was in a couple spots where she was able to win, and like anything, I think winning is contagious."
On the strength of back class, the Raven Run appeared to be Moonshine Memories' to lose. The multiple grade 1 winner and Eclipse Award finalist ran a good third in the Sept. 2 Prioress Stakes (G2) after getting bumped hard at the start, and she looked in perfect striking position Saturday, rating between horses in third, then second—just off Blamed—through fractions of :22.27 and :44.83.
Where Shamrock Rose had been on or near the lead during her wins in the Aug. 5 Malvern Rose Stakes at Presque Isle Downs and Sept. 8 La Lorgnette Stakes at Woodbine, she settled in an outside path midpack down the backstretch and was rolling as she advanced to fourth as they reached the far turn. The pre-race instructions of "enjoy the ride" Carroll said he gave to Gaffalione were then executed to a T as Shamrock Rose barreled down the middle of the stretch and drew clear late for her fourth win in nine starts.
"The plan was to see where she breaks and put her in a good spot," Gaffalione said. "All the credit goes to Mark (Casse) and his team; they did a great job. They gave me all the confidence in her. They said she'd been doing great. She really showed up today. When I asked her for run, she really kicked on."
Though Shamrock Rose had only been worse than third twice in her eight prior starts, all of her best runs had come over synthetic surfaces—including her maiden triumph in the Ontario Debutante Stakes in September 2017. A bullet five-furlong workout in :59 1/5 over the Keeneland main track Oct. 7 was a clear tout of her affinity for the surface, giving Casse and owner Conrad Farms the confidence to see if the bay filly could build on her swagger.
"It was a great call by Mark and the Conrads to run here," Carroll said. "She came in here and she trained unbelievably well. Truthfully, (I didn't get confident) until she was past the wire, but I felt comfortable the whole race because she was in hand. And when I saw her make that move, I thought it would take a good one to beat her. We're tickled to death."
Final time for the distance was 1:22.98.
Blamed held for second by 1 1/2 lengths over graded stakes winner Take Charge Paula, with Bronx Beauty and Everyonelovesjimmy completing the top five. Moonshine Memories, the 9-5 favorite, faded to ninth, her worst finish since running seventh in last year's 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
"I'm kind of lost for words—she didn't run," said Mike Smith, jockey of Moonshine Memories. "It wasn't that she ran hard and got outrun, she just didn't run. She was getting bounced around a little bit on the backside … but nine times out of 10, she'd have run away from that."
Shamrock Rose was bred in Pennsylvania by Best A Luck Farm out of the Elusive Quality mare Slew's Quality. She was purchased by Conrad Farms from Best A Luck Farm's consignment for $120,000 out of the 2017 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.