Trip Notes for June 21: Bed o' Roses, Eatontown, Summertime Oaks
Saturday, June 21
Belmont - Bed o' Roses (race 9)
COMMENT: Hot Stones, coming off a sharp second to graded stakes winner La Verdad, moved forward to notch her first graded win. Getting blinkers for the first time, she sat 4th early as Ultimate Shopper set the pace pressured by Merry Meadow. She moved closer while wide into the lane and just got up in the final strides. She might next go for the Shine Again at Saratoga July 21, and should all go well there maybe a tilt at the Grade 1 Ballerina there Aug. 23, where she may run into Midnight Lucky and Judy the Beauty. Merry Meadow, easy winner of the Grade 3 Vagrancy here last month, did nothing wrong in defeat. She chased pacesetter Ultimate Shopper through solid spits, took over from that foe into the lane, gamely battled back when hooked by the winner, but came up a nose shy while four lengths clear of the rest. Calistoga smacked the gate at the start to get away poorly. She was last early, steadily advanced, swung wide into the lane, and ran on for 3rd. Street Girl, favored off her rallying 2nd to Midnight Lucky in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill on the Ky. Derby undercard, lagged back and passed rivals in the lane but was never really in the picture. She may want more ground.
Monmouth - Eatontown (race 11)
COMMENT: Medea ran 5th as the 1-2 favorite in a nice optional claimer on the Pimlico grass last month, a race won by today’s foe Dido. She gained her revenge and then some as she had a better start and it led to a fine win. She was fractious before the start of the Pimlico race and then got pinched back when the gates opened. There were no such issues here. She broke alertly and was a bit eager early as she stalked the pace. She moved up nicely turning for home, grabbed the lead in midstretch and edged away. Triple Arch was just behind the winner from the start, got shuffled back in the lane, but she then found her best stride again and finished well to just get up for 2nd. Lonesome Town dogged pacesetter Nashly’s Vow from the start, moved up with Medea to challenge into the lane, couldn’t keep pace with that foe and just failed to hold 2nd. Dido sat last early while saving ground, stayed inside, made some headway but was never really a threat to the winner. Nashly’s Vow, the favorite, set the pace, battled back gamely when hooked by the winner and Lonesome Town, but weakened in the final half-furlong
Santa Anita - Summertime Oaks (race 8)
COMMENT: Jojo Warrior was coming off a troubled 3rd as the 7-5 favorite in the Ms. Preakness at Pimlico on the Black-Eyed Susan undercard. Brought west, moved to a route for the first time and getting blinkers reapplied, she flourished. She set a brisk pace, rebuffed a challenge from Delta Flower turning for home, and then opened up to win easily. Live for Now, a maiden, stalked the pace while saving ground, found herself boxed in much of the way, found a seam into the lane and finished well, though she was no threat to the winner. She’s either quite promising or it’s a poor reflection on her rivals behind her that as a maiden she ran 2nd. Front Range, like Jojo Warrior trained by Bob Baffert, stalked in 4th and kept to her task decently to get 3rd. Delta Flower, the favorite coming off 3 straight wins including a stakes at Oaklawn March 29 and a stakes here May 17, dogged the winner from the start, loomed a threat on the far turn but then weakened. This trip could be beyond her scope for now.