Vertical Oak's outside strategy wins Garland of Roses

Prior to Saturday’s $94,900 Garland of Roses at Aqueduct, trainer Steve Asmussen commented that he loved the post for Vertical Oak that placed her on the outside in a short field. Then, during the race itself, it was soon clear why he fancied that position.

Her outside post allowed jockey Eric Cancel to watch the race develop inside of him, and his mount did the rest. Third early, two lengths off the pace, she went after early leaders Yorkiepoo Princess and Sower three wide on the turn, and pulled clear for a 1 1/4-length victory.

"I had a wonderful trip,” Cancel said. “I knew that the two horses on the inside, they were going to come out of there running. I had her planned just to sit right off of them, and that was it. It worked out very well."

The win, in which she raced six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.28, gave her the seventh stakes victory of her 20-race career and ninth overall score for owners Kirk and Judy Robison. A 4-year-old daughter of Giant Oak, she paid $3.30 as the heavy favorite in a field that was reduced to four when Dream Pauline was scratched.

Yorkiepoo Princess, who carved out early splits of 22.26 seconds and 45.69, held the runner-up spot, a length in front of pace-pressing Sower. The latter faded to third, six lengths ahead of Tigalalu, who trailed at every call.

The Garland of Roses was the second consecutive stakes victory for Vertical Oak, a six-furlong specialist who had previously won the Dream Supreme at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4. Last summer, at age 3, she won the lone graded stakes of her racing career when she took the Grade 2 Prioress at Saratoga.

"She's gotten better with age,” assistant trainer Toby Sheets said. “She settled really well and ran great. She's put a bunch of races together now really nicely.”