Sam Houston: Rose to Gold prevails in Houston Ladies Classic

Rose to Gold is making a habit of invading the Southwest and picking off some of the biggest prizes in the region. As a 2-year-old, she captured the Grade 3, $500,000 Delta Downs Princess. Last year at 3, she won the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park, and on Saturday night, Rose to Gold shot up the rail to win the richest race in Texas, the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston Race Park.

The Houston Ladies Classic anchored a card of four stakes worth $725,000 in total, making the program the richest for Thoroughbreds in Texas. In the Grade 3, $200,000 Connally Turf Cup, Admiral Kitten was up for a neck win over Fredericksburg.

Rose to Gold ($12.40) was content to race in fourth in the early stages of the Houston Ladies Classic as Unusual Way took command and led the field through an opening quarter in 24.16 seconds and a half-mile in 48.08. Rose to Gold advanced through six furlongs in 1:12.37, then pushed past Unusual Way along the rail late for a 1 1/2-length win under Jesus Rios. She covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.87.

“She’s such a great filly,” said Sal Santoro, who trains Rose to Gold for Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti. “We’re very, very proud of her.”

Santoro said Rose to Gold would ship home Sunday, first laying over at a farm in Ocala, Fla., then returning to her base at Calder. She likely will hit the road again in the near future, with plans to run her at Oaklawn.

“We’ve got to see how she is and all that kind of stuff, but right now, what I’m thinking is possibly the Azeri Stakes at Hot Springs, then the Apple Blossom,” Santoro said. “Those two races are spaced perfectly, so I’m thinking the Azeri, then the Apple Blossom in the immediate future.”

The Grade 2, $200,000 Azeri is March 15, and the Grade 1, $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap is on April 11.

Rose to Gold earned $232,800 in the Houston Ladies Classic. She has won 6 of 12 starts and $963,509. She is a 4-year-old by Friends Lake bred in Kentucky by Joe Mulholland Sr., Joe Mulholland Jr., John Mulholland, and Karen Mulholland.

The remaining order of finish in the Houston Ladies Classic was Unusual Way in second, followed by Class Included, Moon Philly, And Why Not, Awesome Flower, Phonybooksnrecords, and Do You Like Me Now.