White Rocks uncatchable in Cincinnati Trophy

White Rocks put her speed to good use in Friday’s $175,000 Cincinnati Trophy at Turfway Park, leading all the way for a 1 1/4-length decision in her stakes debut. Victor Carrasco was up on the gray daughter of Frosted for Arnaud Delacour, and White Rocks picked up 20 points toward a Kentucky Oaks (G1) berth in the qualifying race.

A six-length maiden winner at Turfway five weeks earlier, White Sands broke on top in the one-mile Cincinnati Trophy and quickly cleared, reeling off opening splits in :24.38, :47.79, and 1:12.54 while extending her advantage to nearly 10 lengths on the far turn. The 5.65-1 third choice held on late and stopped the teletimer in 1:39.69 over the Tapeta.

“She has a lot of speed (and) you don’t have to do much to get her to the front,” Carrasco said. “The turn came up quick and you have to be alert to secure position early.”

The Road to the Kentucky Oaks Challenge series event awarded points on a 10-6-4-2 scale to second-through-fifth and Admit gave a fine account of herself rallying for runner-up honors. An entry-level allowance and maiden winner in her two previous starts, Admit ultimately left herself too much to do in her first stakes attempt but made up a lot of ground in the stretch at 8-1, winding up 1 1/4 lengths better than late-running Somethinabouther in third.

It was another neck to Bracelet in fourth. Girl Math, the 2-1 favorite, failed to make much of an impact from off the pace in fifth, and Salt, Tiger Division, Just Ruthless, Pure Majestic, She’s All Charm, and Wondrous completed the order.

Bred in Kentucky by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm, White Rocks initially sold for $35,000 as a yearling and commanded $180,000 sales price as a two-year-old in training. She’s campaigned by Jastar Capital, Polivka Equine Holdings, and Timothy Madden.

White Rocks didn’t break sharply when making her first career start at Turfway in mid-December and was interfered with in upper stretch, winding up being elevated to second. She made all the running in her convincing maiden tally a month later, and White Rocks promises to bring early speed to future engagements.

The first stakes winner from the Kitten’s Joy mare Kitten’s Catch, who is out of the Canadian champion two-year-old filly Catch the Thrill, White Rocks has shown an affinity for the synthetic track in Florence, Kentucky. The March 22 Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway, which offers 105 points (50-25-15-10-5) toward the Kentucky Oaks, will be an option for her next start.