Rosalind pulls clear in Sheepshead Bay

Beauty Parlor and Riposte were both sent off at 6-5 in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont Park on Saturday, with Beauty Parlor a slight favorite in the five-runner field. At the finish, they were fourth and fifth.

Beauty Parlor set a relaxed pace of 25.54 seconds, 50.83, and 1:15.36 on a clear lead over firm turf in the 1 3/8-mile race. Riposted tracked in second about two lengths back while saving ground, with 7-2 third choice Rosalind just to her outside. Selenite, along the inside, and Maximova to her outside completed the field.

The pace quickened nearing the far turn, with Beauty Parlor covering a mile in 1:38.78. Riposte mounted her bid outside of Beauty Parlor nearing the stretch, while Rosalind challenged three wide. The three battled for the lead in upper stretch, with Rosalind eventually gaining a short lead. She inched away as Beauty Parlor and Ripose began to flatten out.

At the finish, Rosalind was 1 1/4 lengths clear of runner-up Maximova, who in turn had a half-length on Selenite, who never left the rail. Riposte finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Selenite and a half-length in front of Beauty Parlor.

Rosalind paid $9.20 to win while completing the race in 2:02.41 under jockey Joe Bravo. The win was the third of Rosalind’s career and her first since taking the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland in April 2014. A daughter of Broken Vow, Rosalind was making her third start for trainer Chad Brown and owners Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and Highclere America.

"Joe rode a terrific race," Brown said. "We had a plan leaving the paddock and I filled him in with a little about what we see in this horse, and he took that information and executed it perfectly. I'm so proud of the horse."

In her start prior to the Sheepshead Bay, Rosalind finished fifth in the Grade 2 Santa Ana at Santa Anita.

"She didn't really handle the trip to California last time," Brown said. "The report from the jockey was just that she was very quiet in the post parade. As you can see she had some pre-race antics in the paddock, she's really a little difficult in the paddock and high strung, and for her to be that quiet in California it must have been the ship."