Room for Me converts dream trip into Regret victory

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Room for Me has found new life since being claimed earlier this year and sent east, and she scored her biggest win yet Saturday when rolling to a 5 3/4-length victory in the $77,500 Regret Stakes for female sprinters at Monmouth Park.

Room for Me ($5), the favorite of seven runners, got a dream trip. She loomed up outside dueling leaders and was going so well jockey Daniel Centeno looked around to take measure of any threats with a quarter-mile to go. There were none, and when Centeno turned Room for Me loose, she bounded clear for a dominating victory.

“She was dragging me,” Centeno said. “She did everything on her own. At the quarter pole, I had plenty of horse.”

The win was the fourth in six starts since Room for Me moved to the barn of David Jacobson, who owns and trains her. Jacobson completed the Regret exacta, with Aireofdistinction finishing second, three lengths in front of Legal Laura.

Disco Chick was fourth and was followed in order by Satan’s Mistress, Shogun Samurai, and Love That.

Stonetastic and Tea Time were scratched.

Room for Me, 5, sped six furlongs in 1:09.38. She now has won eight times in 17 starts, and her form is vastly improved from that of a mare dropped into a $12,500 claimer in February at Santa Anita. She was claimed that day and wound up with Jacobson. She was second to the accomplished La Verdad in the Vagrancy at Belmont in May and won allowance races at Belmont eight days before and eight days after the Vagrancy.

The Regret was her first start at Monmouth. Room for Me earned $45,000, so she now has earned more than $200,000 in six starts since being acquired for $12,500.