Eleanor Rose wins Work the Crowd

ALBANY, Calif. - Eleanor Rose ($9.80), who had not finished off the board since arriving in Northern California in late 2004, scored her first stakes victory Saturday, winning the $100,000 at Golden Gate Fields.

The 1 1/16-mile race for Cal-bred fillies and mares was switched from the turf to the main track leading to the scratch of morning-line favorite Moscow Burning.

Eleanor Rose took the lead when sprinter Just a Tizzy opted to play a stalking role. She was challenged at the quarter pole by odds-on Somethinaboutlaura but pulled away in the lane to win by six lengths in 1:43.31 on a muddy track.

Winning jockey Martin Garcia said that trainer Steve Miyadi had told him to sit off the pace.

"I didn't take back," Garcia said. "She wanted to go, and she relaxed and did everything good."

Garcia didn't feel confident when Somethinaboutlaura, trained by Miyadi before her $375,000 sale in the February Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale, pulled within one-half length at the quarter pole.

"I think I'm not going to beat her because she won so easy with me (in the Feb. 4 Foster City at Bay Meadows)," Garcia said. "I kept trying. My filly runs the same. She knows when she's in the stretch, and she just tries."

Miyadi, who likely would have scratched the 5-year-old mare for an overnight stakes next weekend had the Work the Crowd remained on the turf, complimented Garcia's judgment to put Eleanor Rose on the lead when no one else went for it.

"The inside is good, and she got a lone speed trip," Miyadi said.

The victory, worth $55,000 raised Eleanor Rose's career earnings to $178,430 for her fifth victory in 17 starts.