In an Ashland Stakes (G1) with an unusually high number of questions for a top-level spring test for 3-year-old fillies, Leslie's Rose would have all the answers in posting a clear victory April 5 at Keeneland.
After rallying in the far turn while in-hand, Leslie's Rose found herself behind a trio of horses coming out of the far turn in her first try at two turns in Friday's 1 1/16-mile test. When jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. found room, the daughter of Into Mischief enthusiastically split rivals to seize the lead. It marked a turnaround from her third-place effort in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream Park where Leslie's Rose failed to improve position in the stretch and settled for third as the 2-5 favorite.
Trainer Todd Pletcher believes the Davona Dale likely allowed Leslie's Rose to move forward in Friday's race.
"We didn't lose any confidence in her. She didn't have a great trip that day," Pletcher said of the Davona Dale effort, which followed clear victories at the maiden and allowance levels. "I think she got a good education. It was the first time she'd been in that scenario. … But we weren't down on her, she came back, she breezed beautifully, so we said, 'Let's just stick to the game plan' and I'm glad we did."
Owner Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm believed in Leslie's Rose from the start, going to $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for the filly out of the Galileo daughter Wildwood Rose. Friday's decisive victory—the first grade 1 score for Whisper Hill Farm as a sole owner of a horse—had Pope looking back and looking forward.
"Oh, it's awesome. I tell you it took us a while to get here but it's just been so worth it," Pope said. "Just the accomplishment of the team from when we bought her to training her at the farm, then to Todd Pletcher and to this. Then (winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr.) did a fantastic job. It's overwhelming."
Watch: Winning Connections Discuss Ashland Triumph from Leslie's Rose
In partnership with Gainesway Stable, Whisper Hill campaigned last year's Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Tapit Trice , who went on to finish seventh in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and earn a classic placing when third in the Belmont Stakes (G1). A year later another grade 1 win at Keeneland will return Whisper Hill to Churchill Downs, this time for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Pletcher is confident Leslie's Rose is ready for that test.
"She's always been a high-quality filly," Pletcher said. "She's always trained like she wants to run longer and I think she proved that today, getting the opportunity to go two turns and finishing with good energy. So, fingers crossed."
Leslie's Rose was bred in Kentucky by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services. The first starter for Wildwood Rose, she was consigned at the Keeneland yearling sale by Gunther's Glennwood Farm. Wildwood Rose is out of Wildwood Flower, dam of Florida Derby (G1) winner Materiality and grade 2 winner and Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia.
"She wasn't a particularly big horse, but she was by Into Mischief and we liked that," Pope said. "And I always like the Galileo mares. So it's a very interesting cross. We thought well it could be turf or dirt, we'll figure it out."
While Leslie's Rose offered the most emphatic answer Friday with her bounce back, champion juvenile filly Just F Y I did enough in her 3-year-old debut to keep the Kentucky Oaks as a possibility after she finished second in the Ashland, which awards 200 qualifying points to the Oaks on a 100-50-25-15-10 schedule. George Krikorian's Just F Y I was scheduled to make her seasonal debut in the Davona Dale but was scratched because of a fever.
The second-place finish is the daughter of Justify 's first race since winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park.
"She finished (well) but we probably needed to knock the rust off her a little bit," Mott said, noting the missed start. "If we couldn't win, our second main objective was to get a race in her and have her ready for the next one."
Mott said the plan will be to move forward and prepare for the Kentucky Oaks.
As for the Ashland's other questions? Juddmonte Farms homebred Impel secured a placing in her grade 1 debut after impressive maiden and allowance-level scores at Fair Grounds Race Course and Oaklawn Park. Trainer Brad Cox said the daughter of Quality Road likely doesn't have enough points to consider the Kentucky Oaks but they'll look at other opportunities down the line.
Candied also was making her 3-year-old debut as the daughter of Candy Ride had not raced since finishing third in the Juvenile Fillies, which followed a grade 1 score at Keeneland in the Alcibiades Stakes. On Friday she would rally from eighth early to finish fourth, an encouraging effort especially considering the race's early fractions of a quarter-mile in :24.35 and a half-mile in :48.27 established by Ruthless Stakes winner Halina's Forte, who would fade to last of eight.
