Merry Meadow scores win in the Princess Rooney

It was a merry, merry day on Sunday, July 5, 2015 at Gulfstream Park for Merry Meadow. With jockey Javier Castellano riding, 5-year-old Merry Meadow stalked race leader Flutterby for most of the race, before taking the lead in the stretch and crossing the finish a 1-3/4-length winner in the Princess Rooney Stakes (G2) at the Hallandale, Fla. track.

Merry Meadow, with jockey Javier Castellano aboard, scored a 1-3/4-length win in the $250,000 Princess Rooney Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday, July 5, 2015. (Photo by Coglianese Photos)

Flutterby held on for second, while Kiss to Remember finished third in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares, 3-years old and up.

“It was a perfect trip,” said Castellano. “She was sharp, fresh, and a front-running horse. She wanted to race, so I let her do what she wanted today. It feels excellent to win three straight wins, and I love Gulfstream Park. It’s very exciting.”

Castellano also won the Miesque’s Approval with Grand Tito and the Carry Back Stakes (G3) with Grand Bili prior to his win in the Princess Rooney with Merry Meadow.

Merry Meadow, who is by Henny Hughes-Merryland Monroe, by Allen’s Prospect, finished the six-furlong race eon the dirt rated fast in 1:09.29.

For Merry Meadow, Gulfstream Park is becoming his favorite place to race. Except for a sixth-place finish in the Inside Information Stakes (G2) on March 2, he won the Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3) on Feb. 14, and the Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) on Dec. 13, 2014.

With his win in the Princess Rooney, Merry Meadow now has nine wins, 10 seconds, five thirds and $842,800 in earnings in 28 career starts.

Merry Meadow is owned by William Parsons Jr. and David S. Howe, and trained by Mark Hennig.

(Information gathered from EquiBase.com, GulfstreamPark.com, and PedigreeQuery.com.)