LAUREL, Md. – Proud Stable, Inc.’s Rough Sea, making his 30th career start and first in a stakes, powered through the stretch on the far outside and pulled clear to spring a 40-1 upset in Saturday’s $100,000 Native Dancer at Laurel Park.
The 54th running of the 1 1/8-mile Native Dancer for 3-year-olds and up and 34th edition of the six-furlong Primonetta for fillies and mares 3 and older were among five $100,000 stakes on the second of consecutive Spring Stakes Spectacular Saturdays.
Trained by Bruno Tessore and ridden by Denis Araujo for his second winner of the day, Rough Sea ($83) completed the distance in 1:51.76 over a fast main track. Bird King edged Plot the Dots by a neck for second, with Workin On a Dream fourth.
“He really sat well today. He was five, sixth lengths off the leader, but he was [going] really nice,” Araujo said. “When we got to the corner, the leaders started to settle down and we got in a little tight spot there. I still waited and waited and when we turned for home and I asked him, he went for it and [he] made [me] the winner.”
Rough Sea’s Bruno Tessore-trained stablemate Big Venezuela was eager for the lead from the gate and set a pace of 23.32 seconds for a quarter-mile and 46.90 for the half, tracked on his outside by Ain’t Da Beer Cold, with Rough Sea saving ground in fifth along the rail. Araujo tipped outside midway around the far turn and found clear sailing for Rough Sea, who trailed three horses straightening for home.
Set down for a drive, Rough Sea came with a steady run to register his fifth career win. Tessore claimed the 9-year-old Include gelding for $12,500 out of a runner-up finish as the favorite in a one-mile off-the-turf claimer last fall at Laurel.
“I really like this horse going long. Actually, the longer the better, and I took a shot. I put the other horse just to go to the lead and make the pace a little bit faster, and it worked out perfect,” Tessore said. “Denis gave him a great ride. He’s a great rider coming off the pace, so everything worked out good for the horse today.
“They were going fast; 23, 46. That was pretty fast,” he added. “I was very impressed the horse was coming. Rough Sea was pretty close, six-seven lengths for them going that fast. But he closed and he did good. Again, the longer the better but I wasn’t expecting he was this good to win a stake.”
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
Photo: Rough Sea (MJC)
