Betting on the Bed o’ Roses Stakes

A deep and well-matched field of fillies and mares will run seven-eighths on the Aqueduct dirt in Saturday’s $200,000 Bed o’ Roses S. (G2). I’m not overly confident in any of the ladies in the cast, which is quite evenly matched, but I do like the progression shown by Grade 1 heroine #9 Leave No Trace as of late. 

Bed o’ Roses Wagers

• $15 win/place/show #9 Leave No Trace ($45)
• $4 exacta key box 9 with 6,8 ($16)

Trained by Phil Serpe, the four-year-old daughter of Outwork was an excellent performer at two, taking the 2022 Spinaway S. (G1) prior to placing in both the Frizette (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but she tailed off as a sophomore with four unplaced showings from as many attempts. 

The Kentucky-bred filly has gotten back to her best in her last two outings, however, led by an excellent Vagrancy S. (G3) triumph on May 18. In that heat, Leave No Trace looked to be outrun after chasing lone speed to the top of the lane, but she showed a second gear in the lane to come home an impressive winner while posting a career-best 97 Brisnet Speed figure. 

She possesses good gate presence in a field with numerous late-running types which will give her a slight tactical edge in the affair, and the seven-furlong distance seems ideal for her, as well. Her Speed numbers have escalated in five straight races and another move upward will make her hard to beat despite facing a deep cast on Saturday. I’ll side with her under the guidance of regular pilot Jose Lezcano. 

The majority of my wagers will center on Leave No Trace in the straight pools, but for the gimmicks, I’ll dabble with a pair of late runners. #6 Flying Connection has earned placings in both the Apple Blossom (G1) and Derby City Distaff (G1) in her last two assignments, and anything resembling those performances will give her a logical chance at a top-three finish in her first for Rob Atras. 

#8 Shidabhuti followed up her Distaff S. (G3) score two back with a third in the tough Ruffian S. (G2) last time out, and she was flattered when Randomized came back to annex her second Grade 1 score on Belmont Day. The consistently good late runner owns three of her four lifetime wins on this course and will be flying late beneath Dylan Davis.