Room Service appreciated some extra ground as she rallied from last to first to deny favored Candy Kitty in the $100,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) (VIDEO) March 2 on the Gulfstream Park turf.
With Joel Rosario aboard for trainer Wayne Catalano, Room Service picked up her first stakes win for owners Gary and Mary West, who bred her in Kentucky. The bay filly is by More Than Ready out of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Dream Lady, by Old Trieste.
Sent off at odds of 6-1, Room Service was timed in 1:46.82 for the 1 1/8-mile distance on a firm course. She defeated Candy Kitty by two lengths, with pacesetter Seeking Her Glory two lengths faith back in third in the field of nine sophomore fillies.
Candy Kitty, coming off victories in the Wait a While and Ginger Brew stakes, was made the 9-5 favorite as she sought her third consecutive victory at Gulfstream. Todd Pletcher saddled both Candy Kitty and Seeking Her Glory.
Breaking from the far outside, Room Service dropped toward the rail at the back of the pack for Rosario heading into the first turn as the Seeking Her Glory snatched the early lead along the inside. Seeking Her Glory led Raging Atlantic and Hardly through the opening half mile as her stablemate Candy Kitty settled into a stalking position fourth.
Seeking Her Glory, with Javier Castellano aboard, carved moderate quarter mile fractions of :23.83, :47.81, and 1:11.19. She maintained a length's advantage as Candy Kitty drew closer while angled out rounding the final turn. Room Service, meanwhile, advanced from the rear of a closely grouped field with an eye-catching move while circling the field four wide to reach contention in upper stretch.
Candy Kitty, ridden by Edgar Prado with top weight of 120 pounds, forged a narrow lead as she overtook her stablemate approaching the eighth pole. But Room Service continued to charge, taking over a sixteenth of a mile out and quickly drawing clear.
Riding the winner for the first time, Rosario said the pace, while not blinding by any means, was good enough for Room Service's style.
"She wants to come from behind," he said. "I wanted to save her so that turning for home, I'd have a lot of horse left. She has a long stride and when she's ready, she'll tell you, 'I'm going now.' "
Room Service is a half sister to 4-year-old stakes-winning filly Oscar Party, who was second last year in the Indiana Oaks (gr. II) and third in the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT). Room Service was coming off a third-place finish in Gulfstream's one-mile Sweet Chant on the grass, her stakes debut Jan. 26 in which she stalked the pace before rallying mildly to reach the wire 1 1/4 lengths behind favored Ready to Act.
Her only prior win came in her career debut against a maiden special weight field going six furlongs at Kentucky Downs last September. Improving her career mark to 2-1-2 in five tries, Room Service bumped her earnings to $136,565.
"She loved the distance," said Kelsey Danner, assistant to Catalano. "She had a clear trip. The only thing we told Joel was not to get stuck in traffic. They went maybe a little wider than we would've liked, but it worked out. She's got such a nice turn of foot. She's shown it in all of her races, but she's finally matured so it worked out well."
Carrying 117 pounds, Room Service paid $14.40, $4.80, and $3.60 across the board as the fourth choice. Candy Kitty returned $3.60 and $2.60, and completed a $47.80 exacta. Seeking Her Glory, who was coming off a maiden victory and facing winners for the first time, paid $3.80.
Valseuse took fourth, followed by America, High Wire Kitten, Merry Merry Bee, Hardly, and Raging Atlantic. Fierce Boots and Joint Return were entered for the main track only.
Room Service wins the Herecomesthebride Chimes Feb. 2, 2014.
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