From Santa Anita Publicity
ARCADIA, Calif. (March 8, 2015)–Underrated Harlington’s Rose rallied from off the pace to win Sunday’s Grade III, $100,000 Las Flores Stakes by three quarters of a length while covering six furlongs in 1:09.64 under Joe Talamo.
Trained by Steve Knapp and bred in California by Y-Lo Racing Stables, the Harlington filly broke from the rail and lacked room while full of run into the far turn. Next to last, about three lengths off the lead at the quarter pole, she wheeled three-wide turning into the stretch to gradually inch away from runner-up Meinertzhageni inside the sixteenth pole.
“I didn’t really want the rail,” said Knapp. “As you could see, she got pinched at the three eighths pole and Joe had to stand on her. He had enough horse that he could go in between and go around, but it is what it is.
“She has developed. When she was two and three, she wanted to run off. Now, she’s learned how to relax behind horses and this has made her a much, much better horse.”
Off at 5-1 in a field of six older fillies and mares, Harlington’s Rose, who got her first graded stakes win, paid $12.00, $5.00 and $3.00. Owned by Thomas Halasz, Ryan Johnson, Paul Newhart and Martha Miller, she improved her overall mark to 21-4-5-2 and with the winner’s share of $60,000, she increased her earnings to $371,040.
“You can put her in any spot and she’s definitely a good horse,” said Talamo, who’s ridden in her last four starts, beginning with a win in the Kalookan Queen Stakes on Dec. 28. “I was able to save some ground on the turn and she came out and just blasted off…I was following Global Hottie (even money favorite with Victor Espinoza) and she came out at the half mile pole so I went inside and (Global Hottie) ducked back in so I had to take up a little bit, but fortunately, I had enough horse to get her momentum going again.”
Ridden by Fernando Perez, Meinertzhageni sat close into and around the far turn, took the lead at the top of the stretch while repelling a challenge to her inside from pacesetter Tribal Gal and held off Global Hottie and finished second by a head. Off at 5-1, she paid $6.00 and $3.00.
Sent from the number three post by Espinoza, Global Hottie couldn’t out-foot Track Gal early and opted to take back off the pace.
“I sent her, but we couldn’t go with Tribal Gal, so I decided to sit back and it didn’t work out,” said Espinoza. “She isn’t very aggressive when she’s in behind horses.” Trained by Bob Baffert, Global Hottie paid $2.60 to show.
Fractions on the race were 21.70, 44.78 and 57.07.