Three-year-olds Shine Day and Night
Less than an hour after Always Dreaming captured the Grade I, $2.4 million Kentucky Derby over the sloppy surface at Churchill Downs, Rosecroft Raceway presented a live card that featured one talented sophomore pacing colt and a bevy of solid older horses.
In the third race on the card, Mr Ham Sandwich (Russell Foster) lived up to his billing as the 2-5 favorite in a non-winners event when he rallied third over and avoided a breaker on the far turn to score by three lengths in 1:57.3.
A three-year-old son of Cam's Rocket trained by Judy Welty for owner-breeder Brian Emerson, Mr Ham Sandwich notched his first win in two starts this year and now owns seven wins in 10 career outings. The talented homebred emerged on the scene last summer by taking Maryland Sire Stakes finals at Ocean Downs and Rosecroft and they will be his primary targets again this spring, summer and fall.
Several races later on the card, White Rolls (Jonathan Roberts) lived up to his role as the 1-2 favorite in a split, non-winners of $2500 last five starts class when he benefited from a pocket trip then overhauled pacesetter Arpeggio Hanover to score in 1:51.4. A four-year-old Roll With Joe gelding trained by Mike Hall, White Rolls now owns a 2-3-2 slate from 15 starts this year and eclipsed the $100,000 plateau in career earnings with this score. J J Newton (Roger Plante, Jr.) won the prior split in a pedestrian 1:55.1.
Several races later in the $10,000 Open Handicap, Tip It On Back (Bret Brittingham) rallied from well off the pace to prevail by a length over Fearless Diablo (Roberts) in 1:51.4 as the 5-2 second choice. A five-year-old Rockin Image gelding trained by Don Brittingham, Tip It On Back recorded his third win in 12 starts this year and ninth victory in 54 career tries when he scored in his local debut.
One race later on the card, Hide Me Away (Foster) led throughout to capture a non-winners of $4000 last five starts class in 1:53.2 as the 9-5 second choice by outlasting the late bid of 3-2 favorite Rocktavius (Roberts). It was the third win in nine starts this year for the eight-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again.
The last two races on the card would have a common theme as trainer Basil Sapienza and Roberts teamed up to take the late double.
In the penultimate race on the card, Dancing Rusty overcame a long, first over journey to capture a non-winners of $2500 last five starts class in 1:54.3 for his first win in 10 starts this year. Then in the finale Diamondkeeper lived up to his role as the 2-5 favorite in a bottom-level non-winners of $1000 last five starts class when he brushed to command before the half and drew clear from Rockin Casanova (Frank Milby) to score in 1:53.1 for his first win in nine starts this year for his owner-trainer.
Both Roberts and Milby each won four races on the card, while Foster won two and Plante and Brittingham each won one. Milby piloted the winners of the early daily double, while Roberts capped the card by taking the late double.
In the third race on the card, Mr Ham Sandwich (Russell Foster) lived up to his billing as the 2-5 favorite in a non-winners event when he rallied third over and avoided a breaker on the far turn to score by three lengths in 1:57.3.
A three-year-old son of Cam's Rocket trained by Judy Welty for owner-breeder Brian Emerson, Mr Ham Sandwich notched his first win in two starts this year and now owns seven wins in 10 career outings. The talented homebred emerged on the scene last summer by taking Maryland Sire Stakes finals at Ocean Downs and Rosecroft and they will be his primary targets again this spring, summer and fall.
Several races later on the card, White Rolls (Jonathan Roberts) lived up to his role as the 1-2 favorite in a split, non-winners of $2500 last five starts class when he benefited from a pocket trip then overhauled pacesetter Arpeggio Hanover to score in 1:51.4. A four-year-old Roll With Joe gelding trained by Mike Hall, White Rolls now owns a 2-3-2 slate from 15 starts this year and eclipsed the $100,000 plateau in career earnings with this score. J J Newton (Roger Plante, Jr.) won the prior split in a pedestrian 1:55.1.
Several races later in the $10,000 Open Handicap, Tip It On Back (Bret Brittingham) rallied from well off the pace to prevail by a length over Fearless Diablo (Roberts) in 1:51.4 as the 5-2 second choice. A five-year-old Rockin Image gelding trained by Don Brittingham, Tip It On Back recorded his third win in 12 starts this year and ninth victory in 54 career tries when he scored in his local debut.
One race later on the card, Hide Me Away (Foster) led throughout to capture a non-winners of $4000 last five starts class in 1:53.2 as the 9-5 second choice by outlasting the late bid of 3-2 favorite Rocktavius (Roberts). It was the third win in nine starts this year for the eight-year-old gelded son of Dragon Again.
The last two races on the card would have a common theme as trainer Basil Sapienza and Roberts teamed up to take the late double.
In the penultimate race on the card, Dancing Rusty overcame a long, first over journey to capture a non-winners of $2500 last five starts class in 1:54.3 for his first win in 10 starts this year. Then in the finale Diamondkeeper lived up to his role as the 2-5 favorite in a bottom-level non-winners of $1000 last five starts class when he brushed to command before the half and drew clear from Rockin Casanova (Frank Milby) to score in 1:53.1 for his first win in nine starts this year for his owner-trainer.
Both Roberts and Milby each won four races on the card, while Foster won two and Plante and Brittingham each won one. Milby piloted the winners of the early daily double, while Roberts capped the card by taking the late double.
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