Shamrock Rose pulls an upset in Raven Run

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Shamrock Rose filled the wallets of her owners and mutuel backers alike in winning Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Raven Run at Keeneland.

A Canadian invader whose prior victories had come on synthetic tracks, Shamrock Rose ($39.40) showed no trouble adapting to the Keeneland dirt, scoring going away by 2 1/2 lengths. Off at 18-1 odds, she was followed home by three other longshots to trigger mutuel fireworks, including a 10-cent superfecta payoff that returned $12,340.07.

Other exotic wagers also paid off handsomely, with a $1 exacta to 9-1 runner-up Blamed paying $301.40 and a 50-cent trifecta including third-place Take Charge Paula, at 36-1, coming back $3,017.90.

The winner ran more like a standout favorite than a dismissed outsider. Eighth early under Tyler Gaffalione, she advanced rapidly on the turn with a wide move into fourth, and kept coming to wear down pacesetting Blamed down the stretch. A 3-year-old daughter of First Dude trained by Mark Casse and owned by Conrad Farms, the winner raced seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.98.

“All the credit goes to Mark and his team,” said winning rider Tyler Gaffalione. “They did a great job. They gave me all the confidence in her. They said she was doing great and she really showed up today.”

Although she enjoyed a trouble-free trip in the clear, as did Blamed, who set the pace with fractions of 22.27 seconds and 44.83, others did not. Take Charge Paula was steadied sharply in traffic on the backstretch, resulting in her dropping back from fifth to 11th, only to recover enough to hit the board, 1 1/2 lengths behind Blamed. Amy’s Challenge, who many expected would set the pace from the rail, broke poorly and wound up sixth.

Still others were just outrun. Favored Moonshine Memories, a two-time Grade 1 winner last year who had been third in the Prioress in her prior start, faded to ninth after chasing the pace. Second betting choice Alter Moon, fourth over the summer in the Grade 1 Test, ended up last of 14.

The Raven Run, contested before a crowd of 23,567 at Keeneland, marked the first graded stakes victory for Shamrock Rose, who had won three ungraded stakes previously for her owners Manfred and Penny Conrad of Conrad Farms. She had lost three prior dirt races.

“It was a great call by Mark and the Conrads – they are terrific owners, and we’re so happy for them – to try this spot,” said Casse assistant David Carroll.

Following Saturday’s race, just two stakes remain at the 17-day Keeneland fall meeting: Sunday’s Grade 3 Dowager and the Grade 2 Fayette on closing day, Oct. 27.