Smooch Up romps in Malvern Rose Stakes

Smooch Up remained unbeaten at Presque Isle Downs with a runaway 6 1/4-length victory in Monday evening's $75,000 Malvern Rose Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Smooch Up ($4.40), a daughter of Tapit, races as a homebred for Tammy Klimasewski and Robert Klimasewski and is trained by Ron Potts. The filly has now won all four of her starts at Presque Isle, with those four wins coming from six starts overall.

After her debut victory at the Erie, Pa., track last August, she ventured to Colonial Downs and finished third in the Keswick Stakes on dirt. She returned to Presque Isle for a 9 3/4-length allowance/optional-claiming score, then narrowly won the Presque Isle Deburante in September going 6 1/2 furlongs. She concluded her season with a fifth-place finish in the Glorious Song in October at Woodbine, in which she both traveled away from home again and added distance, going seven furlongs.

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In Monday’s Malvern Rose, Smooch Up was back at 6 1/2 furlongs for her 3-year-old debut. With Antonio Gallardo in the irons, the filly, who frequently used a front-running style last year, was content to sit kindly in third early. She was about two lengths behind leader Divine Intentions, who blitzed through the opening quarter-mile in 22.88 seconds on the Tapeta, with Thank You Amy, also trained by Potts, chasing her hard.

Divine Intentions still led through the half in 46.35, with Thank You Amy a length behind and Smooch Up at her throatlatch. Once straightened away into the stretch, Gallardo cued Smooch Up, and the filly quickly cleared by more than two lengths. She was never threatened while widening her margin to the wire.

Smooch Up finished the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.32.

Eye Candy Warrior, fourth early, came on to be second, 2 1/4 lengths clear of Divine Intentions. The latter saved third by a neck over Divine Seeker. They were followed by Thank You Amy and Tinker Bull.

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