Saratoga: Leslie’s Rose ends 15-month drought, wins Shuvee

In her sixth start since her last trip to the winner’s circle, Leslie’s Rose regained winning form Friday to capture the Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile route for older fillies and mares at Saratoga.

Owned by Whisper Hill Farm and trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Leslie’s Rose adds to previous graded success when taking the Ashland (G1) in April 2024 at Keeneland in her most recent victory. The hard-trying filly hit the board in two other graded stakes since, including a second to horse of the year Thorpedo Anna in the Acorn (G1) in June 2024 at Saratoga. She bounced back from a troubled start in the Ogden Phipps (G1) on June 6 over a sloppy and sealed track at the Spa where she was eased.

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Pletcher said he was pleased to see the weather cooperate Friday for Leslie’s Rose, who he also entered in Saturday’s Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park.

“She doesn’t care for sloppy conditions, and unfortunately we caught those last time. It literally started raining on the way to the paddock, and it was the same thing in the Kentucky Oaks,” Pletcher said, referring to her distant finish in marquee Grade 1 event for 3-year-old fillies in 2024. “We cross-entered today hoping to catch a fast track either here or at Monmouth, and it worked out.”

Piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr., the victorious 4-year-old Into Mischief filly was away the best from post 3 in the field of seven. Dazzling Move was keen to make the front and did just that under José Ortiz to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.62 seconds over the fast footing with wide-running Malibu Beauty tracking in second and Leslie’s Rose in third.

“That’s what we talked about in the paddock,” Pletcher said of tactics. “It looked on paper that (Dazzling Move and Malibu Beauty) were likely to be the speed of the race, and we wanted to come out in a forward position going into the first turn. She broke terrific, and it allowed Irad to use her speed to put her where he wanted her.”

Malibu Beauty applied pressure to the outside of Dazzling Move, who marked the half-mile in 47.56 seconds before widening her lead to 1 1/2 lengths in the turn. Irad Ortiz patiently waited for the right moment to pounce from the inside.

Dazzling Move reached three-quarters of a mile with a time of 1:11.78, and Irad Ortiz made his move. He angled Leslie’s Rose to the outside of the pacesetter as Gun Song advanced widest of all into third position while coming in slightly and causing Malibu Beauty to steady. Dazzling Move was still the one to catch as the field straightened for home, and post-time favorite Raging Sea made a sustained rally from last while doing little to close the gap on the pacesetter.

Leslie’s Rose was the only rival in with a shout as the top two drew off from the rest of their foes. Dazzling Move dug in gamely, but Leslie’s Rose found more with every stride and edged clear inside the eighth pole to draw off to the 3 3/4-length victory with a final time of 1:50.77.

Dazzling Move was 9 3/4 lengths clear of Raging Sea in third with Gun Song, Prides Crossing, Malibu Beauty and Sidamara completing the finish in that order.

Pletcher praised the ride by Irad Ortiz, who has been aboard the filly for 9 of 10 starts.

“We got a great trip. She’s very tactical (with) good tactical speed and put herself in a good position going into the turn, and it worked out the way we hoped,” Pletcher said. “I peeked back and saw (Raging Sea) had some work to do, but I was focused on our filly, and it looked like she was traveling well throughout.”

Irad Ortiz said the race came together just as he had hoped.

“Honestly, I just wanted to break good. I want to have a good break, and after that I think there are two fillies outside with speed,” he said. “If I can clear the one beside me, the other Chad (Brown-trained) filly (Prides Crossing) has speed. If I can clear that one and do so, that would be great, but if not I will have too much traffic in front of me for her style. So I want to break running and probably have at most two horses in front of me, and it worked out beautiful, because those two horses go outside. I ended up right where I wanted to, and from there I just took my time, it worked out great. The filly was ready when I asked her.”

Pletcher said the next target for Leslie’s Rose is likely to be the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign (G1) on Aug. 23, a win-and-you’re-in qualifier at Saratoga for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

“I think so,” Pletcher said. “She ran awfully well here today. We’ll circle that and point towards it."

José Ortiz, aboard Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Dazzling Move, said he was proud of the Grade 3-winning Not This Time filly’s effort.

“I thought we might win for a while, but inside the eighth pole, (Leslie’s Rose) kind of dominated and ran away from me a little,” José Ortiz said. “I was happy we stayed. She kept going. That was a nice second vs. a good bunch of fillies and mares."

Bred in Kentucky by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, Leslie’s Rose was a $1.15 million purchase at the September 2022 Keeneland yearling sale and is out of unraced Galileo mare Wildwood Rose, a half-sister to Pletcher-trained Grade 1 winner Materiality and Grade 2 winner My Miss Sophia, who produced multiple graded-stakes-winning millionaire Annapolis, also a Pletcher trainee.

Leslie’s Rose banked $110,000 in victory and improved her record to 10: 4-1-2. She returned $10.40 on a $2 win wager.