Rousing Victory no longer a 30-1 outsider

ELMONT, N.Y. - The improving Rousing Victory doesn't figure to offer the value he has in his last three starts, but he's hard not to like at any price in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Lawrence Realization.

A field of eight 3-year-olds was entered for the 1 1/2-mile race, scheduled for Belmont Park's Widener Turf Course. Two more horses were entered to run if the race is moved to the main track.

made a respectable stakes debut, running second behind Artie Schiller in the Grade 2 Jamaica Handicap at 30-1. Trainer Phil Serpe said Rousing Victory encountered some traffic trouble in that race and did his best running late.

"He ran by the other horses and was starting to open up on them at the wire,'' said Serpe, who will also saddle longshot Victory Circle in the Lawrence Realization. "We'd like to think he's bred for that distance.''

Rousing Victory is by Belmont Stakes winner Victory Gallop and is a half-brother to marathon turf stakes winners Julie Jalouse and Mariensky. Mariensky won the 11-furlong Sheepshead Bay over a soft Belmont turf course last year. Rousing Victory won a 10-furlong maiden race over this course in May.

Serpe said the addition of blinkers has helped Rousing Victory. He has worn blinkers in his last three starts, the first being a seven-furlong dirt race in which he was third. He then won an allowance race at Saratoga before the Jamaica.

"The first time he ever ran, Jerry Bailey rode him and he said 'Put the hood on him,' '' Serpe said. "I wasn't too quick to do that. He seemed to run spotty in his races; he wasn't totally focused. It seems to have helped him focus.''

Cornelio Velasquez will ride Rousing Victory from post 2.

A soft turf course could help , who makes his stakes debut for trainer Jimmy Toner. Toner won the Lawrence Realization in 1999 with Gritty Sandie, who was also making his stakes debut two starts after winning a maiden race. Generous One won his maiden over a yielding turf course in July.

"There's going to be some give in the ground and it would probably help him a little bit,'' Toner said.

took advantage of a swift pace to rally from 16 lengths back to win an entry-level allowance race here on Sept. 26. Royal Assault, who was third in the Belmont Stakes, makes his turf debut for trainer Nick Zito. Royal Assault is a son of Kris S. and shows three workouts on the turf.