Shamrock Rose – 2018 Champion Female Sprinter

Shamrock Rose made her presence felt during the second-half of 2018, offering a bold turn of foot to rally last-to-first in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), and the three-year-old filly parlayed her late-season success into the Eclipse Award for champion female sprinter.

Shamrock Rose's lifetime record courtesy of Brisnet!

Owned by Conrad Farms, Shamrock Rose experienced some success at Woodbine at age two but wasn’t much of a factor dropping the first three starts of her sophomore campaign. Mark Casse elected to freshen his charge following a non-threatening third as the favorite in the Weber City Miss at Laurel Park in mid-April and the move paid dividends.

The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of First Dude returned from a 3 1/2-month layoff with a 10 1/4-length romp in the restricted Malvern Rose at Presque Isle Downs in early August. Shamrock Rose followed with another easy tally in the La Lorgnette on Woodbine’s Tapeta track a month later. Stepping up to graded company in the October 20 Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland, Shamrock Rose was dismissed by bettors at 18-1 but won like an odds-on favorite, blowing past rivals to score by 2 1/2 lengths.

She came back two weeks later in the Filly & Mare Sprint at Churchill Downs and posted a 25-1 upset, getting up by a head in the final strides. Irad Ortiz Jr. picked up the mount in her last start.

https://youtu.be/xviPcln0JzY

Shamrock Rose brings a four-race win streak into 2019 and will try to emulate Groupie Doll (2012-13) as the only horse to repeat as champion female sprinter since the award was inaugurated in 2007.