Upperline ends career on a high by winning the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes
Owned by John Adger in partnership with Michael Stidham, Oakcrest Farm, and Stone Farm, Upperline ends her career with victory in the $125,000 Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes over Keeneland’s turf course, where she battled hard against Ciao Bella for victory on 21 October, 2012.
It was a narrow victory by the Michael Stidham trained mare, who prevailed in the homestretch just to notch it by three-quarters of a length in the 1 ½ mile marathon for fillies and mares under jockey James Graham.
The 5-year-old mare by Maria’s Mon will be sold at the Fasig-Tipton November breeding stock sale, and the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes was her last outing as a runner.
Bred in Kentucky by Stonerside Stable, was sent as the 2 to 1 choice to win the grass test, and defeated Ciao Bella, who finished second on the day, by the winning time of 2 minutes and 32.19 seconds over 1 ½ miles, as Janicellaine finished in third, a neck behind Ciao Bella.
In the 2011 running of the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes, Upperline finished second to the 16 to 1 outside, Senada, who this year finished fourth.
"She's been a superstar from the beginning," Stidham said approvingly of the winner. "She's been tough in all of her races, and we're just happy that she was able to do it like this. We're just sorry we hadn't started running her a mile and a half a long time ago. James (Graham) rode her great, and she's a great mare."
Out of Caerleon’s mare Snowflake, Upperline was coming off a third place finish in the Grade 1 Spinster Stakes to Todd Pletcher trained filly, In Lingerie, on 7 October, 2012, also at Keeneland.
She started the season brilliantly with victory in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland’s turf course over a distance of 1 ½ miles on 26 April, 2012, and then went on to land the 1 1/8 mile long Grade 3 Arlington Matron on 26 May, 2012.
However, didn’t visit the winner’s circle until the Rood and Riddle Dowager Stakes, with four races in between.
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