Rambunctious Rosinka Rolls in Glens Falls

Rosinka overcame a scary sequence in the stretch run to win the $111,200 Glens Falls Handicap (gr. IIIT) (VIDEO) over the inner turf course on closing day of the 2007 meeting at Saratoga Sept. 3. It was the Irish-bred filly's fourth consecutive win.

The Graham Motion-trained 4-year-old daughter of Soviet Star--Last Drama, by Last Tycoon, picked up her first graded stakes win for in the 1 3/8-mile Glens Falls for fillies and mares.

Ridden by Jeremy Rose, Rosinka lightly prompted a realistic pace from Mabadi for the first three quarters of a mile of the Glens Falls. Turning up the pressure on the outside of the pacesetter on the final turn while the back markers closed in, Rosinka suddenly spurted away from her rivals to take a commanding five-length lead mid-stretch.

Rosinka seemed to be looking into the grandstand and hit the rail at one point, then jumped a tire track or bald spot on the turf. As a result of the distractions, she was all out to hold off the closing Mauralakana by a neck.

“She’s kind of goofy-minded," Rose said. "Sometimes, she gets out and sometimes, she gets into it. When she bumped the rail a little bit, she went back on with it. She’s good, but I think that craziness in her head makes her so good.”

Motion explained that Rosinka "gets to goofing off" when she makes the lead.

"She’s very difficult," he said. "She’s like a time bomb. I was more nervous about getting a saddle on her than I was about the race."

The final time, 2:13 flat on firm going, was one second off the course mark. Pictavia finished a couple of lengths back in third.

Makderah, the 4-5 favorite in the field of eight, was forced to steady in traffic at the quarter pole. The Irish-bred filly was in a stalking spot while racing third or fourth at the rail but gave way and finished seventh.

Early fractions for the marathon distance were :24 1/5, :48 3/5 and 1:13 2/5.

Rosinka and Rose won the rich Robert G. Dick Breeders' Cup Memorial at the Glens Falls distance in her last start July 14 on the Delaware Park grass. The filly who was second that day, Royal Highness, returned to win the Beverly D. at Arlington Park. Rosinka won the nine-furlong Rooney Memorial over the same course three weeks prior to that.

The closing day win was worth $66,720 to owner Alistair McDonald Buchanan and increased the filly's lifetime earnings to $369,226.

"As long as she’s all right, she will be in the Flower Bowl (gr. IT)," Motion said.

The $600,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, for fillies and mares, on the turf, is Sept. 29 at Belmont Park

The bay began her career as a 2-year-old in England, winning one of four starts there before transferring to the U.S. late in her 3-year-old season. Rosinka has now won five of seven in America -- and six of 11 in her career.

She paid $10.80, $6.60 and $4.50. The French-bred Mauralakana, ridden by Julien Leparoux for trainer Patrick Biancone, returned $15.40 and $8.30. Godolphin's Pictavia, making her American graded stakes debut, was $5.60 to show with Garrett Gomez aboard.

Hostess finished fourth, followed by Safari Queen, Mary Louhana, Makderah and Mabadi.(Chart, Equibase)