Roshani has done very little wrong in five starts this year, winning four times and taking money in every effort.
In the $150,000 Violet Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sept. 28 at Meadowlands, the 4-year-old daughter of Fantastic Light-Sahibah will face five challengers, three that she beat handily last month. It could add up to another victory and a soft prep for the $2-million Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr.IT) at Monmouth Park Oct. 27.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Roshani has won four of seven lifetime starts, and three of four on turf. This year alone she has won a maiden, two allowance efforts and the Matchmaker, which she took by a length while stalking the pace. The lone loss for Ben Mcelroy’s dark bay filly came at Monmouth June 16 in the Eatontown Stakes (gr. IIIT), where she was third by just a half-length. In that race, winning mare Karen’s Caper set the 1 1/16-mile course record in 1:39.48.
Bred in Kentucky by Mill Ridge Farm, Roshani will leave from post 5 under jockey Garrett Gomez.
Roshani may get her biggest challenge from Haras Santa Maria de Araras’ Pommes Frites, a 5-year-old with eight career wins on the turf. Pommes Frites, by Dynaformer, out of Dolce Amore, was fifth, but only two lengths back in the Eatontown. She next won the Lighthouse Stakes at Monmouth July 7. Then the Bill Mott-trained mare was sent to New York, where she ran fourth in the Balston Spa Handicap (gr. II) and most recently, third in the Noble Damsel Handicap (gr. III) Sept. 15.
Pennsylvania-bred mare Star of Sahm has won four consecutive races, three of them in the claiming ranks at Monmouth. On Sept. 8 the daughter of Sahm-Smile With a Smile tried allowance competition at Philadelphia Park and won by two lengths.
The rest of the field – La Dolce Vita, Humoristic and Hopes and Dreams – all faced Roshani in the Matchmaker. Humoristic, trained by Hamilton Smith, was the longtime leader of the Matchmaker, before giving way in the stretch to finish third.
The Violet is 1 1/16 miles.
$150,000 (gr. IIIT, Race 8, 10:17 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles (turf)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. La Dolce Vita (KY), 121, Javier Castellano
2. Pommes Frites (KY), 119, Cornelio H. Velasquez
3. Star of Sahm (PA), 119, Navin Mangalee
4. Humoristic (KY), 117, Rajiv Maragh
5. Roshani (KY), 121, Garrett K. Gomez
6. Hopes and Dreams (KY), 117, Eddie Castro