No Separating Taittinger Rose, Reforest in Penn Oaks

Favored Taittinger Rose came off the rail in mid-stretch to range up just in time to earn a dead heat with pacesetting Reforest in the $100,000 Pennsylvania Oaks at Philadelphia Park Monday.

Ridden by Pat Day, Taittinger Rose got into gear just in time to get a piece of the winning purse with Reforest, who was unlucky to be caught after setting a pressured pace and opening up in the stretch for John Velazquez.

Grinch was 2 1/4 lengths behind in third. The final time was 1:41 1/5 for the One mile and 70-yard test of 3-year-old fillies.

Reforest, a bay daughter of Forestry trained by Bobby Frankel, set a pace of :23 2/5, :47 and 1:10 4/5 while challenged by Via Sacra and Schedule. Taittinger Rose, by Menifee, saved ground into the stretch while mid-pack before launching her late bid.

Owned by Edmund A. Gann, Reforest ($3.40, $3.60 and $3) was overmatched in the muddy Test (gr. I) at seven furlongs in her last start July 31, finishing ninth in her only out-of-the-money performance. Overall, she's 3-2-0 in six starts with earnings of $147,305.

Taittinger Rose ($3, $3.20 and $2.6) was favored off her last start, a 1 1/8-mile second-level allowance race at Saratoga Aug. 6 that she won by nearly eight lengths. Her record now stands at 4-3-3 in 14 starts for trainer Bill Mott and owner Michael G. Rutherford, with earnings of $197,478.

Grinch, ridden by Stewart Elliott, paid $3.60.

(Chart, Equibase)