Coady Photography
Churchill Downs Press Office
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bubble Rock broke alertly and led every step of the way to win Friday’s 30th running of the $300,000 Mrs. Revere (Grade II) for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs by 1 ¼ lengths over Joyful Applause.
Owned and bred by John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable Inc., Bubble Rock ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.05 over a firm Matt Winn Turf Course to collect her third stakes win and second against graded company. Joel Rosario rode the winner for trainer Brad Cox.
Bubble Rock, who previously won the Matron (GIII) at age 2 and $125,000 Cincinnati Trophy at Turfway Park earlier this year, banked the $177,250 first prize and rewarded her backers with $2 mutuels of $5.32, $3.48 and $3.46 as the 8-5 betting choice in the field of 10 3-year-old fillies.
She went straight to the front and set moderate fractions of :24.17, :49.26 and 1:13.75 as longshots Joyful Applause and Take a Stand tracked about one length back in second and third, respectively, down the backstretch. Bubble Rock was never seriously threatened into the final turn or in the stretch and the top three finished in the same position nearly all the way around the trip.
“She broke very well from the gate and took me to an easy lead down the stretch,” Rosario said. “She got into a really good rhythm, and we weren’t going too fast down the backside. I could feel around the turn I still had a lot of horse beneath me and she was able to kick clear in the stretch.”
Joyful Applause, at odds of 34-1 under Edgar Morales, paid $18.52 and $11.80. Take a Stand, ridden by Fernando De La Cruz, was another 1 ½ lengths back in third at 38-1 and paid $15.72 to show.
Lovely Princess, Quality Star, She’s Gone, Lady Puchi, Fancy Martini, California Angeland Sweet Lady Ivanka completed the order of finish. Have a Good Day (IRE) was scratched.
The winner’s share of the purse pushed Bubble Rock’s earnings to $508,793 from a record of 4-2-1 in 10 starts. Prior to the Mrs. Revere, Bubble Rock finished fourth in the $300,000 Valley View (GIII) at Keeneland on Oct. 28.
“We’re very proud of her effort today,” Cox said. “She’s a filly that we tried multiple distances with and at the end of a 3-year-old campaign this was a target for us. She’s run well at Turfway in the past so we could keep that as a target this winter.”
Bubble Rock is a dark bay or brown daughter of More Than Ready out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Reef Point who was bred in Kentucky by her owner.
The Mrs. Revere is named in honor of Mrs. Revere, an accomplished Churchill Downs fan favorite in the mid-1980s. Mrs. Revere won 12 races in 28 starts, finished second seven times and earned $429,545 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Her six wins in a dozen starts at Churchill Downs included stakes triumphs in the Regret, Dogwood and Edgewood in 1984 and the Kentucky Cardinal in 1985. She was owned by Dr. Hiram Polk and the late Dr. David Richardson, who have provided the winner’s trophy for the Mrs. Revere in each year of its existence.
Mrs. Revere Quotes
Edgar Morales (jockey, Joyful Applause, runner-up) – “She has some good tactical speed and likes to be closer to the pace. I was able to let her sit second behind Joel (Rosario, aboard Bubble Rock). I started asking her to get a little closer around the turn and she hung in there well and was second best.”
Helen Pitts-Blasi (trainer, Joyful Applause, runner-up) – “I’m so proud of her today. I trained the whole family and it’s very satisfying to see her run so well against horses like this. She’s still just figuring out the game and can only improve from here.”
