Maryland invader Rookie Salsa upsets Kentucky Juvenile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In a race in which the favorites were horses coming off debuts at nearby Keeneland, it was the Laurel shipper Rookie Salsa who sprang the upset in the $125,000 Kentucky Juvenile on Wednesday at Churchill Downs.

Rookie Salsa, who returned $56.80 for the win as the second-longest shot on the board, is trained by Laurel-based Jerry O'Dwyer for Designated Hitters Racing. O'Dwyer had hoped to be back at Churchill Downs this weekend with Needs Supervision, an allowance winner in Louisville last fall who won the Silverbulletday Stakes in January at Fair Grounds. The filly did not continue along the Kentucky Oaks trail after finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes in February – but that same month, a precocious colt arrived in O'Dwyer's barn and hinted that he could show early quality.

"He's just been a very simple horse to work with from day one," O'Dwyer said of Rookie Salsa, whom he purchased as a yearling last October and then sent to Aiken, S.C., for early training. "He came to me on the first of February, and just knew everything. He knew how to change leads, and did everything right from day one. ... It was easy to bring him along. He's just a nice horse, and I nominated him quite early for this stake, just with a sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that we might be able to come here."

Twirling Owen and Alec and Arthur were both away quickly in the Kentucky Juvenile, with the latter taking command into the stretch and then edging clear by two lengths. Rookie Salsa – who was coming off a debut win on April 19 at Laurel – was still fourth at that point. But once angled out for running room under Angel Suarez, he came on full of run, striking the front in the final stages and quickly drawing off to win by 1 1/2 lengths. He finished the five furlongs in 59.32.

Coming on for second was Two Dot, who is still a maiden after three starts, but has finished second in all three of those. The colt hit the rail on the turn and was sixth in the stretch, but rallied strongly late to nip Alec and Arthur by a head for the place spot.

After Alec and Arthur came second choice Mean Sophia another 2 1/4 lengths back, then Secretly Wicked, Twirling Owen, and Clongiffen. The favorite Marva, who was steadied around the turn while being outsprinted, was last.