G1-winner Leslie’s Rose ready to bloom in Sunday’s seasonal debut at the Big A

• G1-winner Leslie’s Rose ready to bloom in Sunday’s seasonal debut at the Big A
• Manny Franco hoping for a Kentucky Derby Day to remember
• Dylan Davis set to ride first G1 Kentucky Oaks with La Cara

Whisper Hill Farm’s Leslie’s Rose returns to the scene of her stunning debut in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Leslie’s Rose debuted in November 2023 over course and distance, drawing clear to an eased up 9 1/4-length score under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

She then embarked on a winter campaign in Florida at Gulfstream Park, taking an optional-claimer by one length over eventual Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan-winner Gun Song in January 2024 and following with a third in the one-mile Grade 2 Davona Dale that March.

Leslie’s Rose found her best stride in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Ashland last April at Keeneland, acing her two-turn debut with a patient stalking trip to split rivals before surging to a three-length score over 2023 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Just F Y I.

She completed her sophomore campaign with a trio of nine-furlong tests in Grade 1 races won by eventual Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna. Leslie’s Rose did not appreciate the sloppy and sealed track when off-the-board in the Kentucky Oaks in May at Churchill Downs; and followed with two tries at Saratoga Race Course when a 5 1/2-length second in the DK Horse Acorn in June and a pacesetting fourth in the Coaching Club American Oaks in July.

Leslie’s Rose shipped out to Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm near Ocala, Florida, and enjoyed some down time under the watchful eye of racing manager, bloodstock advisor, and farm trainer Todd Quast before returning to the work tab on March 6 at Palm Beach Downs in Delray Beach, Florida.

“I had her here at the farm the whole time until we sent her to Palm Beach six or seven weeks ago to get her ready,” Quast said. “She's filled out. She's always been a beautiful filly, well-balanced and very well proportioned. But she has matured with time, put on good weight and is a very solid filly.

“We're very excited to get her started,” Quast added. “Out of her campaign last year, we gave her a bit of time to freshen up. We entered twice at Keeneland in April, and it didn't go, but we're very happy to be back in New York and that way we can continue on up to Saratoga.”

While Thorpedo Anna will be making the third start of her campaign in Friday’s 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 La Troienne on the Kentucky Oaks Day card at Churchill Downs, Quast said he’s pleased to ease Leslie’s Rose back into top-flight racing and that his filly will benefit from being reunited with Ortiz, Jr. when they exit post 3-of-6 on Sunday.

“We wanted to do this distance first time back. She won at this distance first time out and we're looking for the whole year, not just one race,” Quast said. “We thought about the La Troienne - but we'll take on Thorpedo Anna when we're ready to, not when she's ready and we're coming off a layoff.

“We drew a good post, and I think it’s a good comeback spot,” Quast added. “She's got speed and she'll be good going longer.”

Key two-turn nine-furlong Grade 1 races for older fillies and mares on the NYRA calendar include the $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga and the $500,000 Personal Ensign on August 23 during the Saratoga meet proper that offers a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Del Mar.

“She's great around two turns - we were second to Thorpedo Anna last year at Saratoga in the Acorn and we'd like to turn those tables if we could,” Quast said. “Thorpedo Anna is a beast, no doubt - she is who she is, but Leslie's Rose is pretty good herself.

“It won’t take long to stretch her back out because we were ready at the first part of April at Keeneland, the races just didn't go,” Quast added. “We'll map it out. One thing for certain, we'll do what's right by the horse.”

Quast noted that Leslie’s Rose should be raring to go on Sunday, having breezed five-eighths in 1:02.29 two works back in company with dual Grade 1-winner Locked, who is entered in Friday’s Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill.

“Locked is probably one of the best older colts in the country and she worked head's up with him. She's working in good company and coming to the race in great shape,’ Quast said.

Leslie’s Rose, a $1.15 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is out of the Galileo mare Wildwood Rose – a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Materiality and Grade 2-winner My Miss Sophia.

Whisper Hill Farm will have a rooting interest in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks with Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Saratoga maiden winner Quickick, a 30-1 morning line chance to be piloted from post 5 by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Tom Amoss.

Quickick, bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Whisper Hill Farm, is by McKinzie and out of the graded stakes-winner Graeme Hall mare Graeme Six.

She brought $550,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and took part in two of the tougher filly maiden special weights last summer at Saratoga. She landed third in her August debut to fellow Kentucky Oaks contender La Cara before graduating in September in a race that third-place finisher Scottish Lassie exited to win the Grade 1 Frizette.

“She's out of a mare we have in partnership with Gainesway,” Quast said. “Super happy for McKinzie to have that expensive of a filly early on. Tom is a fantastic trainer, and we were happy that he got her. We'll be rooting hard for Quickick on Friday.”

Quast noted that Whisper Hill Farm’s dual graded stakes-winner Grand Sonata [28-5-7-2, $2.1 million], recently a close sixth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn on April 19 at Keeneland will be back to New York soon. The 6-year-old Medaglia d’Oro horse, a Kentucky homebred, is nominated to the Grade 2, $400,000 Man o’ War on May 10 here.

He also added that two-start maiden Fun to Tap, a 3-year-old Tapit colt, will be back in New York shortly from a freshening. The $1.2 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase, a half-sibling to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Money, was a 2 1/2-length second last out on November 3 here in a race won by Cyclone State, who subsequently captured the Jerome.

“Fun to Tap is going back to Todd on Thursday. He just was not thriving, and we brought him home and gave him a little time. He's another one that's matured and happy,” Quast said.

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Manny Franco hoping for a Kentucky Derby Day to remember

Last Kentucky Derby Day, Manny Franco rode at Belmont at the Big A and won four races, including the Listed $150,000 Elusive Quality aboard Dancing Buck. While staying home worked out quite well, there was understandably part of Franco that wished to be back competing at the “Run for the Roses.”

This year, Franco, 30, is set to ride in eight stakes among 10 total mounts on Churchill Downs’ 14-race Saturday card, including East Avenue in the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby. Franco, who was NYRA’s year-end leading rider from 2018-19 and in 2023, seeks his first Derby win as he steps aboard East Avenue for the first time in the afternoon. Franco’s best Derby finish in five previous attempts was a second in the rescheduled 2020 edition aboard the favored New York-bred Tiz the Law.

“I’m really happy for the opportunity this year to ride at the Kentucky Derby,” said Franco, who is represented by agent John Panagot. “This is what we work for every day. This is another try to win there at Churchill Downs and try to win the race.”

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred East Avenue [post 12, 20-1 ML], a Medaglia d’Oro bay trained by Brendan Walsh, landed ninth as the favorite in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November after winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity one month earlier.

East Avenue prompted the pace before an off-the-board effort in the Grade 2 Risen Star in February at Fair Grounds in his seasonal debut, but rebounded last out with a pacesetting nose defeat under Luan Machado to Burnham Square in the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 8 at Keeneland.

While East Avenue has done much of his best running on the lead, Franco said he will play the break.

“Every race is different,” said Franco. “We have to play it how it develops and then take it from there. I think that is why, to win, you have to have the horse, but at the same time you have to have the trip. You have to get a good trip to get the best opportunity to win the race.”

Franco was aboard East Avenue for a five-furlong breeze in 59.40 seconds on Sunday at Churchill Downs.

“He’s a really nice horse. He has run extremely well. I was really happy with the way he went, so we will just have to wait for Saturday,” Franco said. “I have to wait and see what Brendan Walsh wants to do. We are going to talk before the race and see what he wants, then I’m going to take it from there.”

Franco’s first stakes mount on Saturday is a return call after a stakes win aboard Implementation [post 10, 6-1 ML] in the one-mile restricted Knicks Go for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. in Race 4.

He next will look to engineer a winning trip in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile from the rail aboard Venencia [post 1, 15-1 ML], who he led to a local Forever Together win in November for trainer Chad Brown, in Race 5. He also rides for the five-time Eclipse Award-winning Brown in Race 11, the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic, getting back up on the Grade 1-winning New York-bred Spirit of St Louis [post 10, 9-2 ML].

“He definitely is special to me, I get along with him well,” Franco said of Spirit of St Louis, who he is 7-for-9 aboard. “He’s a really good horse on both surfaces. He is a nice horse and I’m happy to be back on him. I’ll try to do the best on Saturday with him.”

Franco also rides twice for dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox – Giant Mischief [post 4, 8-1 ML] in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs in Race 8 and Emery [post 9, 6-1 ML] in the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff in Race 10 – and once for Eclipse Award-winner Dale Romans with Coppola [post 1, 10-1 ML] in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint in Race 7.

Rounding out Franco’s stakes mounts is a live longshot in Test Score [post 5, 10-1 ML] in the Grade 1 American Turf in Race 9 for trainer Graham Motion. Franco led Test Score to a 9-1 upset last out in the Grade 3 Transylvania on April 7 at Keeneland, and a repeat of that performance would make him a threat.

“I’m really happy for all of these opportunities. I am supposed to ride 10 horses on Saturday. I’ll try to get the most out of them. This is a big opportunity on a big day,” Franco said.

Franco was also slated to ride Five G in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, but she will be scratched according to a Daily Racing Form report Thursday morning.

Racing fans can watch and wager on Saturday’s Kentucky Derby card via NYRA Bets and also onsite from Aqueduct Racetrack which will feature an 11-race program that includes the Listed $150,000 Elusive Quality in Race 7 and the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy in Race 10.

First post on Saturday at the Big A is 12:00 p.m. Eastern with the facility open to the public from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. to accommodate an 11 a.m. first post at Churchill Downs for their 14-race card that features the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby in Race 12 at 6:57 p.m. The Big A will host a Kentucky Derby watch party Saturday featuring Taste NY liquor samplings, mint julep bar, pimento cheese tasting, live music and NYRA Bets giveaways. 

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Dylan Davis set to ride first G1 Kentucky Oaks with La Cara

It was just four years ago that jockey Dylan Davis traveled north of the border to secure his first Grade 1 victory abord Mutamakina in the E.P. Taylor at Woodbine. Now, the 30-year-old native of Manhasset, N.Y. looks for his next major milestone as he rides Tracy Farmer’s Kentucky homebred La Cara in Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, his first time riding in the prestigious nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies.

“She looks like she’s coming into it in full force,” Davis said. “I’m really looking forward to it and I think we’ve got a great shot. She likes to be at the front and likes to take control. I don’t think the distance is a big factor for her and that she’ll handle it. We’ll just try to do our best all the way to the wire. She’s going to need to run a big race to beat this kind of competition, but I’m excited. It’s my first Oaks, and I’ve got a real good chance.”

Davis, who began riding in 2012 at New York’s tracks and Suffolk Downs, has already accomplished a great deal in his career, landing three riding titles at New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) meetings and coming out on top as the circuit’s leading rider in 2022 and 2024. Along the way, he has earned four Grade 1 victories, most recently guiding La Cara to a pacesetting triumph in Keeneland’s Ashland on April 7 to secure her spot in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

Davis said he anticipates the speedy La Cara [post 7, 6-1ML] will once again be a pace factor in the Oaks, especially after the scratch of Five G was announced Thursday morning.

“I’m very happy for the opportunity with Mark and to stay with this caliber of a filly,” Davis said. “I talked to Mark and he said we’ll come out running and be very aggressive coming out of the gate. We got a little lucky this morning with the scratch of Five G, who I thought was the other main speed. I think it makes our job a little easier in that situation, but still, it’s a tough race.”

The mount aboard La Cara came this winter thanks in great part to Davis’ decision to move his tack to Gulfstream Park for the season, where he rode frequently for the likes of top trainers like Casse, Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and Saffie Joseph, Jr., among others. Davis credits his agent Mike Migliore, along with the support of trainers both year-round in New York and during his Florida endeavors, with the opportunity to ride horses like La Cara.

“Working with my agent Mike, we’ve built a foundation, and we continue to grow, asking how we can push ourselves in the right direction,” Davis said. “We are always looking to make changes for the better, and I feel all the decisions we’ve made are leading to the right direction. Mark wanted me to come down to Florida and said he would be a big supporter of mine, and I think that’s how I landed La Cara.”

Davis and the bay daughter of Street Sense have enjoyed three strong races together, beginning with a 6 1/4-length romp in the Listed Suncoast in February at Tampa Bay Downs with Davis in the irons for the first time. The pair went on to finish a stalking second to The Queens M G in the Grade 2 Davona Dale in March at Gulfstream ahead of their 9-1 upset of the 1 1/16-mile Ashland.

The Ashland score came thanks to a pacesetting trip engineered by Davis, who took advantage of the filly’s sharp break and urged her along the rail on the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 23.19 seconds over the fast footing. Down the backstretch, Look Forward and Running Away applied mild pressure but La Cara bounded through a half-mile in 47.23 and maintained a half-length advantage before widening it to two lengths at the three-quarters call.

The favored Muhimma was already in full pursuit at the top of the lane under a strong ride from Flavien Prat, but Davis was a statue atop La Cara as she effortlessly maintained her lead, ears pricked into the stretch before Davis shook the reins and gave three taps with a right-handed crop. Oaks contender Take Charge Milady made up ground late along the inside, but La Cara was strong through the wire to post the 1 1/4-length victory in a final time of 1:45.10.

“I think part of it was a little more spacing between the Davona Dale to the Ashland – she had four weeks, and that day, she was feeling really good, like she was a Tampa,” Davis said. “She broke very sharply and quickly found a lot coming out of the gate and wanted to take command. She did the same thing she did at Tampa – took command and I was just a passenger, really. Take Charge Milady was coming late, but if she had gotten closer to La Cara, she would have found extra to hold her off.”  

In addition to La Cara, Davis is also named on the Pletcher-trained Hideaway [post 6, 15-1ML] in the Grade 2 Edgewood on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. Owned by Repole Stable, the maiden daughter of Curlin seeks a stylish graduation on the heels of two on-the-board efforts this spring at Gulfstream and Keeneland, and was scratched out of Race 12 on Thursday at Churchill as an also-eligible. Davis will be in the irons for the first time in the Edgewood.

“That’s a tough race, but you never know. You’ve just got to bring your ‘A’ game, like the Oaks,” Davis said.

As for his preparations for Friday’s exciting engagements, Davis will ride a near-full card of seven mounts Thursday at Belmont at the Big A, keeping his focus as he does heading into any other race.

“I just keep my mind clear; I’ve learned to control my emotions and nervousness going into big races – that’s why I’m able to make the right decisions on the track,” Davis said. “It’s just another day, a big day, but I’m not going to change anything. I just hope for the best.” 

Davis, who comes from a family of riders with his father Robbie a 31-time Grade 1-winner and his sisters Katie and Jacqueline also multiple stakes-winning riders, said riding in the Kentucky Oaks carries great meaning as he continues to make a name for himself at racing’s highest levels.

“It means a lot. Dad’s done a lot for the game and had a lot of success, but I have to do my own riding and I’ve worked very hard for these moments,” Davis said. “I’m hoping that it continues on, and that these are just stepping stones to what my career leads to. I’m really happy with that, and I’ll do my best out there.”

Racing fans can watch and wager on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks card via NYRA Bets and also onsite at Aqueduct Racetrack which will offer a nine-race card headlined by the Grade 3 $175,000 Sheepshead Bay in Race 3. First post on Friday at Aqueduct is 1:10 p.m.

Operating hours at the Big A on Friday are 10 a.m. – 7:15 p.m. to accommodate an 11 a.m. first post from Churchill Downs with the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks set for Race 11 at 5:51 p.m.