by Jeff Lowe

Roshani, a $135,000 purchase as a four-year-old in the 2007 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale, continued to be a bargain for owner Ben Mcelroy on Friday as she won the $250,000 Las Palmas Handicap (G2) on the turf at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.

The Fantastic Light mare registered her third graded stakes victory for McElroy and trainer Todd Pletcher as she fought off Rosinka (Ire) to win by a half-length and completed the mile in 1:34.32 on firm turf.

With jockey John Velazquez in the saddle, Roshani bounced back from a seventh-place finish to Forever Together in the First Lady Stakes (G1) on October 3 at Keeneland Race Course.

“That was a tough, tough race last time as you saw from the results of the [Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup] Filly and Mare Turf (G1),” Pletcher said, referring to Forever Together’s victory. “She might have needed the race. She’s a very consistent, nice mare.”

Roshani received a bit of a freshening after her victory in the Galorette Handicap (G3) on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course. She did not race again until the First Lady.

“[The Galorette] was just a hard race on her, it was very soft ground and it took us awhile to get her back,” Pletcher said. “There really wasn’t an ideal spot to run her in so we decided to wait for the big one there at Keeneland.”

Pletcher said Roshani would be offered in the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

The dark bay or brown mare has won seven of 13 career starts and earned $481,300.

Rosinka finished second, with Lemon Chiffon another three-quarters of a length back in third.

John C. Mabee Handicap (G1) winner Black Mamba (NZ) never reached contention in the field of 13 and finished seventh as the 1.40-to-1 favorite.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer