Shamrock Rose Returns to Distance Sweet Spot in Madison

Conrad Farms' Shamrock Rose returns to the site and distance of her first graded score, the Oct. 20 Lexus Raven Run Stakes (G2), in the $300,000 Madison Stakes (G1) on Keeneland's loaded April 6 card.

Two weeks after taking the Raven Run, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of First Dude  rallied from last to upset the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs. Both races were seven furlongs, as is the Madison, which attracted a field of nine 4-year-old fillies. Shamrock Rose, the champion female sprinter of 2018, drew the outside.

"She's doing wonderful. We're extremely happy with the way she's training," said trainer Mark Casse. "I like the post. Tough race, but I think she's ready."

Shamrock Rose debuted this year with a fourth in the Jan. 26 Fasig-Tipton Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) over a sloppy track at Gulfstream Park and was third behind multiple grade 1 winners Midnight Bisou and Elate around two turns in the March 16 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

"I thought her last race was really good," Casse added. "She had a great trip, and if she was ever going to beat those two top fillies, it would have been the other day. That's one of the reasons I didn't feel like trying her back in the (April 14) Apple Blossom (G1). I kind of thought, like I said, we had every opportunity (to win at Oaklawn), so I thought we'd come back where she had her success."

Casse said the timing of the Madison would allow Shamrock Rose to make the seven-furlong Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) on Kentucky Derby day, although he didn't rule out going two turns again.

Three other graded stakes winners will take on Shamrock Rose. Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutch's Spiced Perfection has not missed the board in her past five outings, which include a victory in the La Brea Stakes (G1) on Santa Anita Park's opening day. A full sister to Golden State Juvenile Stakes winner Cruel Intention, the Smiling Tiger  filly debuted this year Feb. 16 in the Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park for her new owners and trainer Peter Miller. At Laurel, Spiced Perfection just missed catching Breeze Easy's Late Night Pow Wow by a head but gets another shot at her in the Madison.

Late Night Pow Wow, a West Virginia-bred daughter of Fiber Sonde and winner of the Charles Town Oaks (G3), has been remarkably consistent. She is a half-length shy of a perfect record from 12 starts. 

Naveed Chowhan's America's Tale ended  2018 with two stakes victories. After an off-the-board finish Jan. 19, she rebounded to win the March 16 Inside Information Stakes (G2) at seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Novogratz Racing Stables' Amy's Challenge is seeking her first graded score after taking back-to-back races at Oaklawn Park. She sprinted to open-length wins in the Jan. 26 American Beauty Stakes and March 2 Spring Fever Stakes but faces a distance in the Madison that has not suited her in two attempts.

Completing the field are Sultry, Create a Star, Divine Queen, and Cathedral Reader.

Entries: Madison S. (G1)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 06, 2019, Race 8

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sultry (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Eddie Kenneally	12/1
2	2Create a Star (OK)	Jon Kenton Court	118	C. R. Trout	20/1
3	3Divine Queen (KY)	Gabriel Saez	118	William B. Bradley	12/1
4	4Amy's Challenge (KY)	Alex L. Canchari	118	McLean Robertson	4/1
5	5Spiced Perfection (CA)	Javier Castellano	123	Peter Miller	7/2
6	6Late Night Pow Wow (WV)	Luis Saez	118	Javier Contreras	7/2
7	7Cathedral Reader (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Dallas Stewart	15/1
8	8America's Tale (KY)	Paco Lopez	120	Bernard S. Flint	10/1
9	9Shamrock Rose (PA)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	123	Mark E. Casse	5/2