Bubble Rock makes Matron first stakes triumph
Bubble Rock avenged her only loss and became a graded stakes winner in the process by rallying to a half-length victory over the fast-closing longshot Gal in a Rush in Saturday’s $150,000 Matron for 2-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
Bubble Rock finished second when launching her career at Saratoga on August 13, making the lead at midstretch before being run down late by Lady Danae, who finished a disappointing sixth when the two met for a second time in the Grade 3 Matron.
With regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, Bubble Rock was reserved within easy striking distance of the pacesetting Mystic Eyes, who was pressed on the lead by the speedy New York-bred Makin My Move. Bubble Rock advanced three wide into the stretch, finally ran down the leader inside the sixteenth pole before withstanding a strong final charge by Gal in the Rush. The latter trailed early on, advanced outside horses leaving the backstretch, came widest into the stretch and finished full of run down the center of the course to be second-best.
Mystic Eyes succumbed grudgingly after setting a lively pace to finish just another half-length farther back in third. She was followed by Makin My Move, The Club, Lady Danae, Dufresne, High Arabian and Mainstay. Poppy Flower, Chi Town Lady and Benbang were scratched.
Bubble Rock, a homebred daughter of More Than Ready, is owned by Shortleaf Stable and trained by Brad Cox. She completed six furlongs over the firm course in 1:08.01 and returned $5.00 as the favorite in a scratch-reduced field of nine juvenile fillies. She was given a Beyer Speed Figure of 83.
“She’s progressed a lot mentally,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to Cox. “She’s been a very nervous filly to work with and she’s kind of taken some time.”
“Last time she won and finished well, too. I just did the same thing today,” Ortiz said. “I waited for my time to go and when I asked her, she finished up really strong again. She’s got a really good size to her and she always finishes well, so I think she’ll be all right.”