Elsa Lorieul Photo

Pauseforthecause goes wire-to-wire in $100K Garland of Roses

by Ryan Martin

Chester and Mary Broman's Pauseforthecause notched a third straight victory, breaking sharply and leading at every point of call in Sunday's $100,000 Garland of Roses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 4-year-old Giant's Causeway filly was urged by jockey Manny Franco leaving the gate but responded well and took clear control, leading the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.61 seconds and the half in 46.28 on the fast main track.

At the quarter pole, Franco took a peek behind him where co-favorite Our Circle of Love was 1 ½ lengths back in second, just one path to her outside. Pauseforthecause received her cue at the three-sixteenths pole with Our Circle of Love continuing her bid down the stretch, but kept her foe at bay and strolled to victory by 2 ½ lengths in a final time of 1:11.91.

Our Circle of Love finished one length ahead of New Year's Wish, who was compromised with a slow start out of the gate, for second.

Angel At War, Sea Sparkle and Miss Imperial completed the order of finish. Wildcat Combat and Calina's Song were scratched.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Pauseforthecause arrived at the open company six-furlong main track event for fillies and mares off of a 3 ½-length score against fellow New York-breds in the Iroquois on Empire Showcase Day, October 19, at Belmont Park.

"Coming in knowing we had the one-hole, our goal was to break good. When we got out of there, I just hustled her forward to get position early," said Franco. "I didn't know anyone else was going to go with us, but when the seven-horse [Our Circle of Love] went forward as well, I just went onward with her. Our goal was to get the lead. She carried me there and was happy in front. She got it done today and I had plenty of horse in the lane. It was a good performance for her today."

While McLaughlin ships a majority of his horses to Palm Meadows Training Center for the winter, Pauseforthecause could remain in New York and seek more stakes glory against her Empire State-bred counterpart.

The seven-furlong $100,000 La Verdad on January 4 at the Big A is an option for her next outing.

"It's been a great year for her. She just gets better and better," said McLaughlin's assistant trainer Joe Lee. "Depending on what the Bromans decide, there's a race on January 4 [$100,000 La Verdad] and then a New York-bred stakes in the middle of February. If that's what Mr. [Chester] Broman wants to do, then that's what we'll do."

The victory brought her lifetime earnings past the half-million marker and now stand at $516,043 with a consistent record of 23-7-4-6.

Pauseforthecause, who returned $4.60 as the 6-5 mutuel favorite, is out of the multiple stakes-winning Touch Gold broodmare Spritely.