Keeneland: Rosalind, Room Service hit wire together in Ashland

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The distance of 1 1/16 miles just wasn’t enough ground to separate Rosalind and Room Service, as those fillies settled for the first dead-heat for win in the 77-year history of the Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland.

In deep stretch, Rosalind and jockey Joel Rosario held grimly to the lead while Room Service and Shaun Bridgmohan battled to their outside, gaining gradually with every stride. On the wire, the photo-finish computer could not determine a clear-cut winner.

“Both had their nose down at the wire, trying like hell the whole way,” said Bridgmohan.

Both fillies can now run in the Kentucky Oaks after splitting the available eligibility points, with each earning 70, more than enough to make the 14-filly cutoff for the May 2 classic.

Ken McPeek, who trains Rosalind for Landaluce Educe Stables, said: “Yes, the Kentucky Oaks and the [June 6] English Oaks are under consideration.”

Wayne Catalano, trainer of Room Service for Gary and Mary West, said: “I will talk to the owners. They like to run in these big races. That's what we are all in the game for.”

With the split win pool, Rosalind paid $5 as the 7-2 second choice and Room Service returned $6.60 as fourth choice. Thank You Marylou, the 5-1 third choice, was another seven lengths behind the top two in third, while Testa Rossi, the 8-5 favorite, was another three-quarters of a length behind her in a field of 13 3-year-old fillies.

The winning time was 1:43.38 in the last Ashland that will be run over Polytrack. Keeneland officials announced earlier this week that their main track will become a dirt surface for the fall meet.

On a cool but sunny afternoon, and with a festive crowd of 27,688 on hand at day’s peak, longshots vied for the early lead, but by midway in the turn, here came all the favorites. Rosalind made the flashiest move, swooping to the lead from the outside and getting momentary separation from the rest, but a sustained run by Room Service to her outside left them on even terms.

For Rosalind, by Broken Vow, the Ashland was her second career win. She was second in the Grade 1 Alcibiades here last fall and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. It was the second Ashland win for McPeek, following Take Charge Lady in 2002.

For Room Service, by More Than Ready, this was her third career win, after a maiden race and the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in her prior start. All five prior races had been on grass.

In earlier Saturday races:

* Stewart Elliott rode three winners on the undercard, two for trainer Mark Casse, in making a big splash in his first full meet in Kentucky. Elliott, 49, is best known for his wins aboard Smarty Jones in the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness.

The first of the Elliott-Casse winners was Skyway ($7), who easily won the first race in Kentucky this year for 2-year-olds.

Elliott also won a race on the Friday opener and was tied with Julien Leparoux atop the jockey standings with four wins apiece after the first two days of action.

* Boisterous ($6.80) got a perfect trip under Rosario in capturing a $65,875 turf allowance that also drew a fellow millionaire, Forte Di Marmi, and a fellow Grade 1 winner, Up With the Birds.