Versatile Rouki springs upset in Turf Dash
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Though Rouki has won on three surfaces, trainer Gerald Bennett believes he’s a “little bit better on grass.”
It was hard to argue that point after Rouki ($42.20) sprung an upset in Saturday’s $117,500 Turf Dash at Tampa Bay Downs. He won by a half-length over 26-1 longshot Horsepower, who was a neck better than Isivunguvungu. Our Shot, the 9-5 favorite, finished fifth, beaten three lengths.
Rouki, a 4-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Rogueish, won for the fifth time in 10 career starts. He won his only other turf start last November and is 1 for 1 on synthetic and 2 for 7 on dirt.
Bennett said his biggest concern going into the Turf Dash was that Rouki had bled in his only other start when he was not permitted to race on the anti-bleeding medication Lasix. That came in a mile-long dirt stakes at Gulfstream last October.
“I know he’s got ability to run fast and carry his speed,” Bennett said after the Turf Dash. “If he doesn’t bleed, they can’t beat him.”
They couldn’t on Saturday. Breaking from post 9 of 10 in the Turf Dash, Rouki, under Samy Camacho, took up a stalking position outside of Souper Quest and Thealligatorhunter, who were within a half-length of each other through splits of 21.13 seconds for a quarter-mile and 43.89 for the half.
Camacho had tipped Rouki three-wide into the lane, and though he had to work to get past Souper Quest, he accomplished that by the sixteenth pole and then held off late runs from Horsepower and Isivunguvungu.
Rouki covered the five furlongs over firm turf in 55.47 seconds and returned $42.20.
“The best thing was the draw. He had the perfect post,” Bennett said. “He had that speed. Just sit and let them do the work.”
Though Bennett may prefer Rouki on the turf, he didn’t rule out running him back on the dirt in a race like the $110,000 NYRABets Sprint at six furlongs on dirt at Tampa on March 30.
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