Merry Meadow, who has placed in 18 of her 20 career starts, will try to post a second straight grade III victory when she faces an expected 10 other older fillies and mares in the $150,000 Bed o' Roses Handicap June 21 at Belmont Park.
William Parsons Jr. and David Howe's Merry Meadow secured the first stakes victory of her career at odds of 6-1 May 17 at Belmont when she pressed the pace early before taking command in the stretch to register a 3 3/4-length victory in the Vagrancy Handicap (gr. III). The 4-year-old daughter of Henny Hughes registered her third victory in six starts in the 6 1/2-furlong Vagrancy. She has two wins and five placings in seven lifetime tries at Belmont.
In the Bed o' Roses, Merry Meadow will stretch out to seven furlongs and has been assigned 118 pounds, making her the co-highweight for trainer Mark Hennig. Rajiv Maragh has the return mount from post 8.
Also carrying 118 will be Thomas Berry's Street Girl, who enters off a runner-up finish to Midnight Lucky in the seven-furlong Humana Distaff Stakes (gr. I) May 3 at Churchill Downs. The stakes-winning 4-year-old Street Hero filly is still searching for her first graded stakes win for trainer Eddie Kenneally, but she has twice placed in grade I races.
Five Star Momma was a distant third in the Vagrancy and was also third in the seven-furlong Inside Information Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in her previous start for trainer Jena Antonucci.
Drawing the far outside post was Lion D N A for trainer Rudy Rodriguez. She won the listed Skipat Stakes on a sloppy strip at Pimlico Race Course in her most recent start May 16.
$150,000 Bed o' Roses Handicap (gr. III, race 9, approximate post time 5:28 p.m. EDT) F&M, 4YO&Up, seven furlongs
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Table Three Ten (KY), J. Velazquez, 114, R C Mettee
2. Five Star Momma (KY), J. Castellano, 117, J M Antonucci
3. Flattering Bea (KY), G. Cruise, 114, C. Pickett
4. Ultimate Shopper (KY), J. Ortiz, 113, E. Kenneally
5. Hot Stones (NY), I. Ortiz, Jr., 115, B. Levine
6. Ode to Sami (FL), C. Velasquez, 114, G. Contessa
7. Calistoga (KY), J. Rosario, 115, W. Mott
8. Merry Meadow (KY), R. Maragh, 118, M. Hennig
9. Classic Point (FL), J. Alvarado, 116, H. Jerkens
10. Street Girl (KY), J. Lezcano, 118, E. Kenneally
11. Lion D N A (IL), M. Franco, 117, R. Rodriguez
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