ARCADIA, CA – With an abundance of speed signed on, the John Shirreffs-trained England’s Rose is ready to come running late for her close-up as she tries stakes competition for the first time in Saturday’s $70,000 Swingtime Stakes at Santa Anita.
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With a field of 10 fillies and mares 3 and up set to go a flat mile on turf, England’s Rose appears well-positioned to mount a successful rally from behind under regular rider Victor Espinoza.
Owned by Mercedes Stables, LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dorothy Ingordo, David Ingordo and Steve Mooney, England’s Rose will shorten up off a 1 1/4-length allowance length win going 1 3/8 miles on turf September 3 at Del Mar. A lightly raced 5-year-old mare by English Channel, England’s Rose finished second, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by highly-respected Luck in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance on August 7.
England’s Rose was subsequently flattered when Luck came back to run a solid second in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1) here on Saturday. In her most recent try at 1 mile on turf July 17, England’s Rose rallied furiously and just missed by a nose in what was only her second try at the distance. With 2 wins and as many seconds from 6 starts, she’ll be making her fifth start of the year in the Swingtime.
In what appears to be a completely wide-open affair, owner/trainer Ian Kruljac’s Quiet Secretary comes off a pair of solid efforts at Del Mar and rates a big chance as she seeks her second consecutive 1-mile turf win. A 4-year-old filly by Hard Spun, she has 4 wins from 8 starts at the trip.
Second to classy Going to Vegas (who won the Rodeo Drive) in a second condition allowance going a mile and 1/8 on turf 2 starts back July 16, Quiet Secretary seeks her first stakes win in what will be her 17th career start. Owned by the Clarke M. Cooper Family Trust, Rockie Lynne Cooper, Kruljac, Rebekah Lawless and Henry Nunez, it’ll be up to Tyler Baze to negotiate what could be a hotly-contested early pace.
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Trainer Michael McCarthy’s Chilean-bred Brooke, a Group 1 winner in Chile, finished a close third in a pair of Grade 3 stakes at 1 mile over the Santa Anita turf on January 18 and June 20 and will be seeking her first American stakes win in what will be her fifth stateside start. Most recently a well-beaten eighth in Del Mar’s Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) August 7, Brooke, who started only once at age 4 in Chile, could be coming to her best in what will be 13th career start at age 5.
Owned by El Tata Stables, Brooke, who was a close second to rival Ippodamia’s Girl 2 starts back in the restricted Osunitas Stakes at 1 mile on turf 2 starts back on July 17, will be ridden for the second time in a row by Kyle Frey.
A winner of Santa Anita’s 1-mile turf Lady of Shamrock Stakes 4 races back on December 26, the Richard Baltas-trained Nasty comes off 3 disappointing efforts but will get the first-time service of Juan Hernandez, who will try to ration her considerable early speed. Owned by LNJ Foxwoods, Nasty, who was a close third to multiple stakes-winning Warren’s Showtime in the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3) at 1 mile on grass a year ago, has 3 wins from 11 overall starts.
If there is indeed a fast pace, the Baltas-conditioned Ippodamia’s Girl could certainly be a prime beneficiary. An impressive off-the-pace winner of the 1-mile turf Osunitas 2 starts back on July 17, this 6-year-old mare by Stormy Atlantic has 5 wins from 11 tries at a mile on grass and will try to bounce back from an eighth-place finish in an ungraded stakes going a mile and 3/8 on turf August 14. Owned and bred in Kentucky by George and Martha Schwary, Ippodamia’s Girl is easily the leading money earner in the field with $261,572 from an overall mark of 18-5-2-2.
Global Brand, Cowboys Daughter, Avenue de France, Ellie Arroway, and Norma Jean B. complete the lineup. The Swingtime is carded as race 7 of 9.
