Lady Rosberg showed her brilliance to one and all Sunday on Longacres Mile Day at Emerald Downs.
Overtaking Madame Pele into the stretch, the 5-year-old mare drew off for a powerful 3 ¾-length victory over Sarahline in the 20th running of the $65,000 Emerald Distaff for older fillies and mares.
With Gallyn Mitchell aboard at high-weight of 121 lbs, Lady Rosberg ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.68 and paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10. The odds-on favorite, she accounted for $40,230 of $68,694 wagered in the win pool.
A Washington-bred trained by Tom Wenzel for owner/breeder Karl Krieg of Oak Harbor, Wash., Lady Rosberg is 8-2-2 in 15 career starts with earnings of $170,022, including $35,750 for Sunday’s triumph. She has four straight wins, and has stakes wins in 2015 on dirt and turf, and in sprints and routes.
Wenzel, sweeping the older filly and mare division for the second straight year, has now won the last eight older filly or mare stakes at Emerald Downs. Unlike last year, however, when Stopshoppingdebbie ran the table, this year’s division was split in two, with George Todaro’s Kikisoblu winning both sprints and Lady Rosberg winning the two routes.
For Mitchell, who turned 53 Saturday, it was his second stakes win of the weekend and pushed his track record total to 80 stakes wins. He also tied Russell Baze and Juan Gutierrez for most wins in the Distaff at three apiece.
“I think I could have taken the lead anytime I wanted today,” Mitchell said. “She’s so versatile. All I can do is than Tom Wenzel and Karl Krieg for letting me ride such a great horse.
“She’ll run dirt, turf, long or short, and that just makes her that much better of a horse,” Mitchell added. “I really didn’t look back. I was just hoping nothing was coming. But she was giving it to me, so I was pretty confident.”
Sarahline, ridden by Leslie Mawing at 117lbs, finished well for second and paid $3.20 and $2.40. Madame Pele, with Juan Gutierrez riding at 116 lbs, held third and paid $3.60.
Alli Leigh, Among the Stars and Our Little Hen completed the order of finish.
A chestnut mare By Rosberg-Enter Laughing, Lady Rosberg is the second Washington-bred in three years to win the Emerald Distaff, and like E Z Kitty in 2013, Lady Rosberg figures to be voted the track’s Top Older Filly or Mare.
