Leslie's Rose upsets Ashland, punches ticket to Kentucky Oaks

LEXINGTON, Ky. - After a breakout victory on the first Friday in April, Leslie's Rose will be after the lilies on the first Friday in May.

Leslie's Rose rallied into the stretch and powered to a three-length victory over previously unbeaten champion Just F Y I in the Grade 1, $600,000 Ashland Stakes on Friday at Keeneland, the feature race on a chilly opening day of the spring meet.

The 1 1/16-mile Ashland awarded points toward the May 3 Kentucky Oaks, which is limited to 14 starters, on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale. Leslie's Rose ($20.90), who is trained by Todd Pletcher for Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, locked up a spot with her victory.

Just F Y I, who earned points with a pair of Grade 1 wins last year, also has assured herself a place in the gate.

Leslie's Rose, an Into Mischief filly Pope purchased for $1.15 million as a Keeneland September yearling, won her first two starts in sprints at Gulfstream Park. Going a mile in the Grade 2 Davona Dale on March 2, she finished third as the favorite.

"She looked like she was maybe a little intidimated trying to come up a tight spot on the rail that day," Pletcher said. "I think that experience helped us out today."

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Leslie's Rose and regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., sat in third, saving ground on the inside, early in the Ashland as Halina's Forte, making her first start around two turns, took the field through moderate opening splits of 24.35 seconds for the quarter and 48.27 seconds for the half. Impel, impressive winner of her first two starts, got a perfect pressing trip on that one's hip over a track that had favored forward placings all day.

Impel took over the lead from a fading Halina's Forte approaching the quarter pole, and Jody's Pride, racing outside of Leslie's Rose, made a short-lived bid. Leslie's Rose split Impel and Jody's Pride and rocketed to the lead at the top of the short stretch.

She cleared in the final stages and was timed in 1:43.85.

“She broke so good,” Ortiz said. “I had a couple horses with speed outside, and they broke better than me, so after that I had to sit off right behind them. She handled it pretty well.

“I just bided my time. She was traveling beautiful every step of the way. At the quarter pole I was able to hit a gear and she was ready. She kept galloping out after the wire.”

Just F Y I, fifth after the half, finished well to be second by three-quarters of a length over Impel.

It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Grade 1-winning juvenile Candied, sent away favored in her 3-year-old debut. Last early after breaking from the rail, Candied also made up ground into the slow fractions.

Standoutsensation, Shimmering Allure, Jody's Pride, and Halina's Forte completed the order of finish.

Just F Y I won her three starts last year, concluding with the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, to earn the divisional Eclipse Award. She was entered in the Davona Dale, but was scratched after developing a fever.

Trainer Bill Mott was not disappointed by her effort in the Ashland.

"We probably need to knock the rust off of her a little bit," Mott said. "She's been off five months, and we missed our race a month ago, which I was probably more ready for that than I was for this one, and this is probably a tougher group.

“If we couldn't win, our second main objective was to get a race in her, and hopefully she moves forward and have her ready for the next one.”

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The top two will be rematched in the Kentucky Oaks, with Pletcher expressing confidence in Leslie’s Rose’s ability to get the 1 1/8-mile distance.

“She’s always trained like she wants to run longer and I think she proved that today, getting the opportunity to go two turns and finishing with good energy,” he said. “So, fingers crossed.”

Mott also confirmed the Oaks will be the next start for Just F Y I.

"That's been the plan all along," he said.

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