White Rose slides up rail for record-setting Glens Falls victory

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After enduring a couple of wide trips in her last two starts, White Rose rode the rails under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to a record-setting three-quarter-length victory over Eastern Belle on Saturday in the $200,000 Glens Falls Handicap at Saratoga.

White Rose lost considerable ground while not badly beaten in each of her last two starts – the River Memories at Belmont and Grade 3 Waya here earlier in the meet – but the 5-year-old daughter of Tapit never left the fence in the 1 3/8-mile Glens Falls, rating off the lightning-fast pace of Maximova before slipping up the inside to out-finish Eastern Belle. Her final time of 2:11.46 established a new course record.

Eastern Belle raced just behind and outside the winner for a mile, swung five wide while rallying into the stretch, joined for command near the eighth pole, but was not good enough. Regardez fanned widest turning for home, loomed boldly through midstretch, and hung late.

White Rose is trained by Bill Mott for the partnership of Jake Ballis and Rashard Lewis. She paid $20.

“That was gorgeous, beautiful,” said Mott, his first reaction to the trip Bridgmohan worked out for White Rose. “I was worried there was nobody to go with Gold Espony, and they let [Maximova] run out of there, and it worked out. She had just the opposite trips in her last couple of starts. I thought down the backside he might tip her out a bit and go to the outside of Goldy Espony, but he went inside and cut the corner all the way. She got a graded stakes. Jake and Rashard are here. I’m thrilled for them more than anything.”