Room Service switches surfaces well to capture American Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. - Room Service showed on Saturday that she is equally brilliant on California turf as she was on a synthetic track in Kentucky in April.

Room Service finished in a dead heat with Rosalind in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland in April, the two fillies pulling away from their rivals to win by seven lengths.

Room Service did not have to share the spoils in Saturday’s $350,750 American Oaks at Santa Anita.

Making her first start in a Grade 1 on turf, Room Service had an ideal trip under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to win the American Oaks by a convincing 2 1/4 lengths over Diversy Harbor. While the margin of victory on turf was not as significant as the Ashland on Polytrack, the style of the win makes Room Service a 3-year-old filly to follow on turf for the rest of 2014.

“She’s more explosive than on the Polytrack,” Bridgmohan said.

Room Service ($6.40) ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.28. She closed from seventh in a field of eight to take the lead before the eighth pole, avoiding the trouble in early stretch that cost 3-2 favorite Nashoba’s Gold.

Early in the race, Bridgmohan had Room Service 10 lengths off the pace of Kissin Lucky Lips, Tiz the Key, and Sweet Bliss, who were within a half-length of each other through an opening half-mile in 48.03 seconds. Those three were still within a length of each other after a mile when Room Service began to make progress on the leaders.

With a wide rally in the stretch, Room Service caught Tiz the Key before the eighth pole and was not threatened late. The scenario of following three quick fillies was ideal, according to winning trainer Wayne Catalano.

“We couldn’t have written a better script,” he said “I was licking my chops.”

Room Service, by More Than Ready, races for breeders Gary and Mary West. The American Oaks was her third consecutive stakes win a streak that began with the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 2.

Room Service has won 4 of 7 starts and $546,565. Catalano said she will make her next start in the $1 million Belmont Oaks over 1 1/4 miles on turf at Belmont Park on July 5.

Diversy Harbor, who was last of eight for the first six furlongs, closed with a wide rally to finish a game second, a neck in front of Little Journey. Diversy Harbor was in traffic in early stretch, sustaining a bump to her hind quarters, jockey Mike Smith said. The filly was making progress on the leaders when she lost momentum, he said.

“You’re asking them to go all out at that point,” Smith said. “She ran really well and I like the way she relaxed.”

Tiz the Key, making her graded stakes debut, finished fourth, followed by Nashoba’s Gold, Kissin Lucky Lips, Loan Savant, and Sweet Bliss. The race essentially ended near the quarter-pole for Nashoba’s Gold when she was checked when racing in traffic.

“We had a good trip to that point,” jockey Joe Talamo said. “It cost her enough momentum to keep going. I don’t know if we could have won, but it cost us.”