Rose Maddox's stretch rally gives her California Distaff Handicap victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - For the third time this year, Rose Maddox unleashed a stretch rally that led to a stakes win.

While Rose Maddox’s first two stakes wins this year were at Golden Gate Fields, she won a race at that level for the first time in her seventh attempt in Southern California in Saturday’s $101,000 California Distaff Handicap for statebred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Tiago Pereira, Rose Maddox ($8.40) benefited from a perfect trip to win by two lengths over 24-1 Madiha, who finished 2 3/4 lengths in front of 12-1 Chismosa.

Rose Maddox ran about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf in a quick 1:11.22 after chasing a rapid pace of 21.10 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and a half-mile in 42.81 set by Organic, who led by as many as eight lengths. Rose Maddox earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88.

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Understandably, Organic (5-1) tired quickly in early stretch after the field crossed over the main track from the hillside turf course to the main oval, leaving Rose Maddox in front with more than a furlong remaining.

“I asked her on the dirt and she switched leads and she flew,” Pereira said.

Rose Maddox races for owner and breeder Nick Alexander, who also finished fourth with Rose Dawson. The two 4-year-old fillies are by his stallion, Grazen.

Ultimate Hy, the 3-2 favorite, finished fifth, followed by Kleen Karma and Organic.

Before the race, Alexander preferred Rose Dawson on the basis of her five-length win in an allowance race at Los Alamitos in September, and her presence in the paddock on Saturday, but was delighted to see Rose Maddox rally past Organic.

“When it got to be 10 lengths, I got nervous,” Alexander said.

Rose Maddox, trained by Steve Miyadi, has won 6 of 18 starts and earned $416,782. Earlier this year, Rose Maddox won two stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Golden Gate Fields – the Moscow Burning Stakes for California-breds on the synthetic main track in January, and the Golden Poppy Stakes on turf in April.

Rose Maddox was second in the Solana Beach Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 25 in her most recent start prior to the California Distaff.

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