Miss Shop rides rail to Rampart victory

Hobeau Farm's homebred MISS SHOP (Deputy Minister) returned to the winner's

circle on Saturday off a week's rest, slipping through on the rail to take the

$200,000

Rampart H. (G2) by an easy 6 3/4 lengths under Rafael Bejarano.

Trained by Allen Jerkens, the bay lass was content to settle just in behind

the dueling Classy Charm (Silver Charm) and Prop Me Up (Reparations) through

splits of :23 3/5 and :47 2/5 with Round Pond (Awesome Again) just to her

outside. As the top two reached the second turn, Classy Charm abruptly began

backing up, leaving Prop Me Up alone through six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 as

Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) queen Round Pond started her move along the outside.

All the while, Bejarano kept Miss Shop down on the inside and maneuvered

around Classy Charm as that one fell back. When Prop Me Up rounded the turn,

Miss Shop launched herself through on the rail and grabbed the lead, going on to

finish 1 1/8 miles on Gulfstream Park's fast dirt in 1:49 2/5.

"She broke really sharp and she likes to come from behind like she did in the

(Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf)," Bejarano said. "I took her back but when

the three

(Prop Me Up) and the four (Round Pond) tired she didn't need much urging to get the

lead."

Miss Shop was sent off the 9-2 third choice to return $11.40, $6.40 and

$14.80. Prop Me Up held well for second at 22-1, paying $14 and $24 for keeping

Swap Fliparoo (Exchange Rate) a length back in third. Swap Fliparoo, also

trained by Jerkens, came running late to return $11.20 at 3-1. The $1 exotics

were worth $59.30 (exacta), $226.30 (trifecta) and $342.10 (1-3-5-4 superfecta).

Round Pond faded to finish another 3 1/4 lengths back in fourth and was followed

under the wire by Tiger Belle (Tiger Ridge) and Classy Charm.

Though she didn't win her first race back after taking the Distaff, Round

Pond is still on track for the April 7 Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park,

according to trainer Michael Matz.

"We had a little problem with her in midweek," Matz explained. "She tied up,

but seemed OK to go ahead. Still, we got a race into her and hopefully can go on

from here with the Apple Blossom next if she's OK."

Miss Shop captured her four-year-old debut, the Sunshine Millions Filly &

Mare Turf, two back, before finishing fifth in the grassy Honey Fox H. (G3) last

Sunday. She earned her first black-type score last season in the Beru S. before

adding the Castle Royale S. and Turnback the Alarm H. (G3), and also owns placings in the Ruffian H. (G1) and Coaching Club American Oaks

(G1). Her record now

reads 20-8-1-4 and she's earned $736,630 in lifetime earnings.

"This filly's just good -- period," Jerkens stated. "I decided just this

morning at 11 o'clock (EDT) that we had to take the turf shoes that (Miss Shop)

had on from last week off, and put on her flat running shoes. I got to thinking

that in case (Swap Fliparoo) couldn't go a mile-and-an-eighth, that this one

could. I probably wasn't going to race her again before Belmont (opens), so she

was going to have plenty of rest after coming back after a week."

The Florida-bred miss is out of the winning Shopping (Private Account),

making her a half-sister to stakes winners Bought in Dixie (Dixieland Band) and

Shop Again (Wild Again) as well as Grade 2-placed Bulling (Holy Bull) and an unraced juvenile filly named Shop Glack (Smoke Glacken).