Kathleen Rose poised for strong stakes run
DEL MAR, Calif. – Kathleen Rose won three optional claimers last year but never had a breakthrough in stakes. Her best result in a stakes was a second by a neck in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita.
The 5-year-old mare will make her first start for trainer Mike Puype in Sunday’s $150,000 Solana Beach Handicap for California-bred fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Del Mar, and she might finally get her stakes win.
“She almost won a graded stakes,” Puype said. “She’s doing well, and we have to give it a shot.”
In her last start, Kathleen Rose finished seventh in the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in January. After that race, she was transferred by owners Bruce and Beverly Zeitz from trainer Mike Machowsky to Puype.
Kathleen Rose is part of a field of 10 in the Solana Beach Handicap and will be ridden for the first time by Tyler Baze.
KEY CONTENDERS
Kathleen Rose (Last 3 Beyers: 81-85-87)
◗ Kathleen Rose was third in the 2014 Solana Beach after leading at the eighth pole. She was fifth in the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita last December, racing with the leaders to the final furlong. She set the pace in nearly all of her 10 starts last year and is expected to be near the front in the Solana Beach.
Chati’s On Top (Last 3 Beyers: 85-84-79)
◗ Chati’s On Top will be the beneficiary if the Solana Beach has a fast pace. Trained by Puype, Chati’s On Top was second in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for California-bred female milers at Santa Anita on May 23. She won an allowance race for California-breds and an optional claimer against open company at Santa Anita in consecutive starts in the spring.
◗ She will be racing from off the pace.
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Smoove It (Last 3 Beyers: 80-91-91)
◗ Smoove It had an excellent spring campaign at Santa Anita but faded to finish last of 10 in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes on May 25, which was her most recent start. Prior to that, she won two optional claimers on the hillside turf course and was second, beaten a nose, in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf.
◗ Trained by Doug O’Neill, Smoove It has yet to win a stakes. A repeat of her performance in the Wilshire, where she closed from off the pace, would be good enough to win the Solana Beach.