Rosario works out perfect trip for Oleksandra in Smart N Fancy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Having ridden Oleksandra to a pair of allowance victories at Belmont Park, jockey Joel Rosario knew the importance of getting the Australian-bred mare covered up early in order to be effective late.

“She wants to have somebody in front to follow,” Rosario said.

Rosario had Oleksandra following everybody early and then split horses late to win the $100,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes by a length at Saratoga. Miss Gossip, a 33-1 longshot, got up for second by a neck over Ruby Notion. It was three-quarters of a length back to Morticia, the even-money favorite, in fourth.

The victory was the fifth from eight starts in the U.S. for Oleksandra, who went 0 for 3 in her native Australia. It was the first stakes victory for Oleksandra, a daughter of Animal Kingdom owned by Team Valor International and trained by Neil Drysdale. Animal Kingdom won the 2011 Kentucky Derby for Team Valor.

:: Get PPs, Clocker Reports, picks, and more from DRF's Saratoga/Del Mar One-Stop Shop

Oleksandra was coming off a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Royal North, a race in which jockey Luis Contreras had the mare four to five wide and in the clear throughout.

Despite breaking from the outside post in the six-horse field, Rosario was able to get Oleksandra to the fence while Too Much Tip and Morticia dueled through a quarter in 21.37 seconds and a half-mile in 43.29 with Broadway Run stalking those two.

As the field entered in the stretch, Rosario swung Oleksandra off the rail and had ample room to split horses. Rosario, with a fistful of horse, waited until just about the sixteenth pole to let Oleksandra split Fire Key and Morticia and she galloped to victory.

Oleksandra, a 5-year-old daughter of Animal Kingdom, covered the 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:00.40 over a firm Mellon Turf course and returned $10 as the 4-1 second choice.

“I thought it was very smooth,” Drysdale said by phone from Southern California. “In my mind, she appears to be improving as we go along.”

Drysdale said Oleksandra would likely make her next start at Kentucky Downs, possibly in the Grade 3, $500,000 Spendthrift Farm Ladies Sprint going 6 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 7.