Bridgmohan

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (CMC):

Jamaican Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan headlined his triple at Keeneland yesterday, with his win in the feature US$125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes with 8-1 outsider White Rose.

Going one-and-a-half miles for the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares, Bridgmohan and the four-year-old roan filly caught the leaders deep in the stretch to get to the wire by a nose in a time of two minutes, 31.34 seconds.

"I had a good trip from the 14 hole (post). [Assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy] and I had spoken about it; we needed to let her run a little bit early," said Bridgmohan. "I ended up having a good trip with her. She was trying hard the whole way."

Bridgmohan raced White Rose near the rear from the break, as I O Ireland posted lazy fractions of 25.13 seconds for the quarter mile and 49.47 seconds for the half mile.

La Malaguena and Charlie Em tracked in second and third respectively, with favourite Caroline Thomas near the rear.

Engaged in a heated battle

Bridgmohan made good progress, slicing through the field calmly to be six-wide as the race swung for home. In the stretch, the race came down to a four-horse sprint as Appealing Cat, Cat's Claw, Caroline Thomas and White Rose engaged in a heated battle.

However, Bridgmohan got White Rose's nose in front at the wire to edge out Caroline Thomas.

The victory for White Rose was her second in as many outings, after winning the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon last month.

Bridgmohan also reached the winners' enclosure in race six when he produced a stalking ride aboard 5-1 chance Shift Colours, to beat the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares by half length, going a mile and one-sixteenth.

He returned again in race eight with 2-1 chance Oceanwave to carry the two-year-old roan filly to victory by a nose over the two-year-old fillies, in a seven furlong contest.

Bridgmohan sits atop the standings alongside Rosie Napravnik with 11 wins in the month-long season ending next weekend.