Rose Run Yanae, a winner of an Ohio Breeders Championship division in 2022, got the best of Rose Run Yolanda, winner of the other division of the Breeders Championship and the 2022 Ohio Sires Stakes Championship, in their first showdown of their sophomore seasons. The pair of Triumphant Caviar daughters finished one-two in the $50,000 championship leg of the James K. Hackett Memorial on Monday, April 24 at Miami Valley Raceway.
Rose Run Yanae, a winner of $97,788 in eight starts as a freshman, topped Rose Run Yolanda, a winner of $290,526 in seven starts during her rookie season, by three lengths in 1:55.2 for driver Chris Page. Rose Run Yolanda (Trevor Smith) was runner-up with Swinging Senorita (Anthony MacDonald), herself a winner of more than $200,000 last year, securing the show spot. This trio is expected to battle all spring, summer and fall to determine who will reign as 'Queen of Ohio’s trotting fillies.'
Page left alertly with the winner, only to turn Swinging Senorita loose on the front end before the :28.3 opening quarter. Content with a pocket ride throughout middle fractions of :58.2 and 1:27, Rose Run Yanae eased to the outside late in the final turn and rushed home in :28.1 for the relatively easy triumph.
Rose Run Yolanda, the slight even-money favourite, had a much more taxing trip. Starting from the six-hole, 'Yolanda' got away next to last and then was shuffled to ninth and last as the field flashed by the halfway point. Sensing things were not going their way, Smith started 'Yolanda' on a sustained brush during the final half. Last year’s champion was three-wide in sixth at the three-quarters, but less than three lengths off the leader. The top trio of fillies were lapped on to each other at the head of the lane, but Rose Run Yanae had the freshest legs for the battle down the lane.
Burke Racing, Hatfield Stables, Knox Services and Weaver Bruscemi own Rose Run Yanae, a daughter of Triumphant Caviar. Greg Luther Racing owns the place finisher while Thestable Senorita Group and Hutchison Harness share ownership of the show finisher.
Racing resumes Tuesday at Miami Valley when the $50,000 Hackett Championship for Ohio-sired sophomore pacing fillies will be contested. McSeaside (Page), a winner of nearly $300,000 last year, has been installed the 5-2 morning line favourite over Cruise Alert (Ronnie Wrenn Jr., 3-1). Post time is 4 p.m. with the Hackett final slated for approximately 7:10 p.m.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)