Ted Taylor’s MAGNOLIA JACKSON (Cape Canaveral) drove to the front at the top
of the stretch and courageously held off the oncoming Grecian Lover (Friendly
Lover) by a neck at the wire in annexing the $155,400
Bed o’ Roses Breeders’ Cup
S. (G2) over the sloppy going at Aqueduct on Saturday. Breaking sharply beneath
Norberto Arroyo Jr., the four-year-old lass allowed front runner Trickle of Gold
(Formal Gold) to set the pace to the half-mile marker before asserting herself,
finishing off seven furlongs in 1:23 4/5 for conditioner Gary Contessa. The bay
filly rewarded her backers with mutuels of $11.60, $4.70 and $3.60, while topping
the $68.50 exacta and $236 trifecta, at a generous 9-2.
“What a gritty filly she is,” Contessa said. “She’s always been a great filly
in my eyes. I was a little bit worried about her over a sealed track, but she
handles everything. Maybe now she’ll get a little respect.”
Grecian Lover rated slightly off the pace early and challenged the winner in
the latter stages but could not get by, settling for the place at 9-1. The miss
gave back $7.20 and $5.60. Annika Lass (Mister Jolie), who was buried on the
rail for much of the final quarter-mile, completed the trifecta while paying
$3.70 at 5-1, one length shy of the place. Trickle of Gold was next and followed by even-money choice Smuggler (Unbridled),
who trailed throughout. Last year’s champion three-year-old filly was making her
first start since winning the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) in July. Grecian Lover (Friendly Lover) and
Slew Motion (Slew Ginn Fizz) were withdrawn.
Magnolia Jackson upped her career mark to 11-7-2-0 with earnings of $335,384.
The filly was victorious in the Correction H. and Broadway H., before finishing
second in the Distaff Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) most recently.
Bred in the Empire State by Sez Who Thoroughbreds, the winner fetched a bid
of $51,000 at the 2004 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale. She was produced from the
stakes-placed Just a Bullet (Jolie’s Halo) and has an unraced two-year-old
half-brother named Premium Wine (Prime Timber), as well as a yearling
half-sister named Fox Hollow Road (Freud).