McPeek takes a chance with Rogue Romance in Foster
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Rogue Romance could be one of the longest shots on the board for the Grade 1, $400,000 Stephen Foster Handicap on Saturday evening at Churchill Downs, but trainer Ken McPeek hopes for a top effort from his four-year-old son of Smarty Jones when he faces a group of some of the best older horses in training. "We feel like our colt is doing better now than he ever has before," McPeek said via phone from New York. "He's been working extremely well and he's on his home track. At some point you have to try them at the highest level." Saturday's Stephen Foster will mark the second time Rogue Romance has battled Grade 1 competition at Churchill Downs. After winning the Grade 3 Bourbon on Keeneland's turf, Rogue Romance completed his two-year-old campaign with a third-place finish behind Uncle Mo and Boys at Tosconova in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In his only start at age three, Rogue Romance finished third behind Mucho Macho Man and Santiva in the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds. Had foot issues not caused Rogue Romance to miss the rest of his sophomore season, McPeek has said he would have competed in the Triple Crown series.
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The chestnut returned in March to win a one-mile allowance race on the dirt
at Gulfstream Park off a 13-month layoff. After a disappointing seventh-place
finish in the Grade 3 Ben Ali over Keeneland's synthetic Polytrack, Rogue
Romance dominated a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the main track at Churchill
Downs, winning by five lengths under Manny Cruz, who will have the Foster mount.
Since his eye-catching allowance victory beneath the Twin Spires, Rogue
Romance has worked twice at the Louisville, Kentucky, track in preparation for
the Stephen Foster. He breezed five furlongs on the fast main track in 1:00 2/5
on June 2 and recorded the same distance under the same conditions in 1:00 3/5
on June 9.
Regular exercise rider Marvin Abrego was aboard for both works.
Rogue Romance carried 125 pounds in his allowance win at Churchill Downs, but
has been assigned 115 pounds by Racing Secretary Ben Huffman for Saturday's
Foster. He stands to be the starting co-low weight for the Stephen Foster, along
with Astrology. Both four-year-old colts are weighted eight pounds lighter than
the top weight, five-year-old Wise Dan.
"We'll take all we can get," said McPeek, who noted he will be in town to
saddle the horse for the Foster.
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