House Rules, a 4-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor, prevailed in a three-horse photo to score victory in the $200,000 Top Flight H. (G3) Saturday at Aqueduct. The filly is one of six stakes horses, four of them graded stakes winners, this year by her sire
House Rules broke smartly and then settled into fourth, less than two lengths off the lead for the run around the first turn and down the backstretch. Moving up into third on the far turn, Junior Alvarado swung three wide to take aim on Shay Jolie and Before You Know It, who had sprinted clear by some three lengths at the top of the stretch.
With House Rules well out into the racetrack, she cut into the margin with each stride, and got to the front with less than 50 yards to run, winning by a half-length in 1:52.41 for the 1 1/8-miles on a fast track.
“I had a good trip the whole way saving ground,” said Alvarado. “That’s what (trainer) Jimmy (Jerkens) told me to do, so we could take advantage of our position by stalking and just seeing what horses I could follow. As soon as I tipped her out at the five-sixteenths pole, I thought I had them already, but the horses in front all of a sudden started to get away from me before I started asking my filly. But I have to say, I had the best horse, and that’s probably why she was able to get up and get the win at the end.”
House Rules has won three of her four starts this year, including the Grade 3 Rampart S. and Bal Harbour H. at Gulfstream Park. In 2014, she placed in the Gulfstream Park Oaks and Davona Dale S., both Grade 2 events. Her overall mark is 6-4-0 from 16 starts, earning $533,703. She is owned by Joe Shields, Jr. and Charles Jones, Sr.
Bred in Kentucky by El Catorce and WinStar Farm, House Rules is the first foal out of Teamgeist, who was a multiple Group stakes winner in her native Argentina and also place in the Spinster S. (G1) at Keeneland.
