A wide-open field of 10 will line up for Sunday's GII Princess Rooney S., a 'Win & You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Keeneland this fall. The 5-year-old Merry Meadow (Henny Hughes) is one of the more accomplished runners on paper, with wins in Gulfstream's GIII Sugar Swirl S. Dec. 13 and GIII Hurricane Bertie S. Feb. 14, respectively. She, however, had a three-race winning streak snapped when a well-beaten sixth after dueling early as the heavy favorite in the GII Inside Information S. here Mar. 21.
“She's been doing great,” trainer Mark Hennig said of the 2-1 morning-line favorite. “It was the timing, more than anything else, and the distance, and it's on a familiar racetrack.” As for the lackluster effort in the seven-furlong Inside Information, Hennig continued, “It was the distance and the way the race unfolded. She isn't really one that wants to be up there fighting for the lead. It's not her style. I think [jockey Javier Castellano] said she kind of got taken out of her comfort zone after that.”
The speedy R Free Roll (Rockport Harbor), a front-running victress of last summer's GII Honorable Miss H. at Saratoga, enters riding a hot hand. She posted wire-to-wire wins in this track's Orange Blossom H. Apr. 4 and the grassy Tiger Lily H. last time June 6.
Flutterby (Congrats), owned/bred/trained by the 94-year-old Jerry Bozzo, earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in an impressive 9 1/4-length victory in the Sea Lily H. here May 30. “She came out of the race very well,” Bozzo said. “It's as if she hadn't run. The way she exploded in the stretch, the way she kept widening and widening, it even had the hackles on my neck go up. It was indescribably rewarding–for her sake, not mine. I want to train her and prepare her so she can live up to her great potential. It's immensely satisfying for her sake.”
Sweet Basil (Pulpit), a perfect three-for-three at Gulfstream, cuts back in distance following a win in the 1 1/16-mile Alachua H. May 23. She is a half-sister to last month's GII Woody Stephens S. winner March (Blame).
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