Ashland: Leslie's Rose Earns Kentucky Oaks Berth For Mandy Pope

The race brought together the top three finishers from last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile in the Grade 1, $600,000 Ashland Stakes, but it was instead 9-1 longshot Leslie's Rose who came away with a three-length victory in the prep race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Mandy Pope's 3-year-old daughter of Into Mischief, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden to victory by Irad Ortiz, Jr., ran 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track in 1:43.85. Just F Y I, champion 2-year-old and Breeders' Cup winner, finished second, while upstart Impel checked in third.

The victory earned Leslie's Rose 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. 

"I just bided my time, she was traveling good every step of the way," Ortiz said. "From the quarter pole I found the clear and she took off."

Leslie's Rose broke well but was out-footed to the first turn by Halina's Forte and Impel. Ortiz allowed his filly to settle behind those two, maintaining a spot on the rail through fractions of :24.35 and :48.27. 

Jody's Pride ranged up along the outside of Leslie's Rose around the far turn, but Ortiz waited patiently and angled off the rail turning for home to find clear racing room. Leslie's Rose took off from there, racing a bit greenly in the final eighth of a mile but with plenty left in the tank.

Leslie's Rose hit the wire three lengths ahead of Just F Y I, who finished well to be up for second. Impel held on to finish third, while Candied was fourth as the 8-5 favorite.

Bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, Leslie's Rose is out of the unraced Galileo mare Wildwood Rose. Wildwood Rose is a half-sister to G1 Florida Derby winner Materiality and G1 Kentucky Oaks runner-up My Miss Sophia.

Pope purchased Leslie's Rose at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale for $1,150,000, and the filly won at first asking in November at Aqueduct. She then won an allowance at Gulfstream in January before entering the G3 Davona Dale, but finished third that day as the wagering favorite.

"We didn't lost any confidence in her," Pletcher said. "She's always been a high-quality filly, and she trained like she would appreciate two turns."

Overall, Leslie's Rose has now won three of her four lifetime starts for earnings of over $450,000. The filly is the first solely-owned Grade 1 winner for Pope's Whisper Hill Farm; she won the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland with Tapit Trice, whom she owned in partnership with Antony Beck's Gainesway Stable.