Devon Rose seeks third straight win

Although the filly Devon Rose is only 4 years old, her career has already taken a number of unexpected turns and twists.

After the first six starts of her career produced only a win in a maiden claiming race, Devon Rose was tried on turf. She flourished on the new surface, crushing a field of allowance horses at Delaware Park while earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure. Trainer Allen Iwinski was so impressed he shipped her to Southern California for last July's $500,000 American Oaks.

Her 12th-place finish signaled the start of a downward spiral, which saw Devon Rose lose eight straight races on turf, though she did pick up small pieces of the purse nearly every time she ran.

At the suggestion of owner Rick Englander, Iwinski switched Devon Rose back to the dirt in March. Monday she will go for her third straight victory since returning to the main track in the $55,000 Summer King Stakes for fillies and mares at Delaware.

Iwinski gives credit to his client for shifting surfaces with Devon Rose.

"It was really Rick's suggestion to run her on the dirt," Iwinski said. "She had been running well on the grass, but not like we were expecting from her. So we ran her back on the dirt. Since then, she has really blossomed."

Devon Rose wired a group of second-level allowance horses at Gulfstream Park, then took a six-week break before crushing high-priced optional claimers at Delaware by five lengths, earning a 94 Beyer.

But the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Summer King could be the well-traveled Jaramar Rain. Trained by New York-based Rusty Arnold, the 4-year-old Jaramar Rain comes off the best race of her career. Sent off at 29-1 in the Grade 3 Sixty Sails Handicap at Hawthorne, Jaramar Rain led for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/8-mile race before weakening to finish second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Bare Necessities. All four of Jaramar Rain's previous stakes tries came in graded events.

Kiss a Miss, the runner-up in last year's Summer King, makes both her first start in two months and her first start for trainer John Salzman. Previously trained by Hall of Famer Phil Johnson, Kiss a Miss finished third in the Grade 3 Affectionately Handicap at Aqueduct in January.

Broad Picture, 5 for 9 at the distance, moves up to try stakes company after beating second-level allowance foes by three lengths in her return off a nearly two-month layoff.