A Controversial Victory! Bottle of Rouge Navigates a Steward's Inquiry to Claim the Sunland Park Oaks!
In a thrilling finish at Sunland Park on Sunday evening, Jill Baffert's heavily favored Bottle of Rouge, a striking daughter of Vino Rosso, proved her mettle by clinching 20 valuable qualifying points for the prestigious GI Kentucky Oaks. This win wasn't without its drama, as the filly, who was the 2-5 favorite, had to overcome a steward's inquiry before her victory was officially confirmed.
Bottle of Rouge, a previous winner of the GI Del Mar Debutante, was making her highly anticipated return to the track after a sixth-place finish in the Oct. 31 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her strategy in the Sunland Park Oaks involved a patient approach, initially stalking the pace set by Cashed through the first half-mile, with splits of :23.85 and :46.80.
But here's where it gets interesting... As the race entered the stretch, Bottle of Rouge surged to the front. However, her move wasn't entirely clean. She drifted inward slightly in the upper stretch, and it appeared she may have impeded the progress of Pashmina, who was making a late run, while Touch of Magic was also closing strongly on the outside. Fortunately for her connections, jockey Juan Hernandez was able to get the favorite straightened out, and she powerfully pulled away to secure the win at the wire.
And this is the part most people miss: The pedigree of Bottle of Rouge is certainly noteworthy. Her dam, Blues Corner, has a 2-year-old full-sister who fetched a hefty $150,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October sale, and she also has a yearling filly by Yaupon. Bottle of Rouge was bred back to Yaupon last year, hinting at future breeding aspirations.
Sunland Park Oaks, $250,000, Sunland, 2-15, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:35.82, fast track.
1 – BOTTLE OF ROUGE, 121 lbs, f, 3, by Vino Rosso. Dam: Blues Corner, by Bluegrass Cat. Second Dam: Hunt's Corner, by Silver Ghost. Third Dam: Treacherous Twist, by Torsion. (Purchased for $60,000 as a weanling and $100,000 as a yearling). Owner: Natalie Baffert; Breeder: Kathie Maybee (KY); Trainer: Bob Baffert; Jockey: Juan J. Hernandez. Total earnings: $427,000.
2 – Touch of Magic, 121 lbs, f, 3, by Into Mischief – Magical World, by Distorted Humor. (Sold for $250,000 as a yearling). This was her first black-type performance. Owner: Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (Goncalo B. Torrealba); Breeder: Three Chimneys Farm, LLC & Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen. Earned $53,900.
3 – Pashmina, 121 lbs, f, 3, by Constitution – Panthera Onca, by Super Saver. (Sold for $350,000 as a yearling). Owner: Red White and Blue Racing LLC; Breeder: Narola, LLC (KY); Trainer: Rob Atras. Earned $24,500.
Margins: 1 1/2 lengths, 1 1/2 lengths, 4 1/2 lengths. Odds: Bottle of Rouge 0.40, Touch of Magic 21.60, Pashmina 5.70.
What do you think about the interference in the stretch? Was Bottle of Rouge a deserving winner, or should the stewards have changed the order? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
