From the Spa: July 22 Midlantic-breds in Saratoga stakes

by Joseph Aiello

“From the Spa” returns to keep you up-to-date on horses bred in the mid-Atlantic racing in Saratoga stakes

Still without a Midlantic bred stakes winner at Saratoga this meet, we turn our attention to Saturday’s card which features the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks and Grade III Caress Stakes. The Coaching Club American Oaks features six of the top three year old fillies in the country, five of which hail from Kentucky while one stays in its hometown New York. Preceding the Coaching Club is the fifteenth running of the Caress, which while it may not have quite the star power of the Oaks, still holds five intriguing turf entries and an MTO. As the sixth race on the card, the Caress is run at five and a half furlongs on the grass for fillies and mares four years old and up. This time around, however, our Midlantic bred enters as the morning line favorite breaking from the three hole at odds of 9/5. Maybe with greater expectations, Pennsylvania bred Roses for Debra can buck the trend and pick up the first stakes win this meet for Midlantic runners. 

Roses for Debra is a grey four year old filly by Liam’s Map – Essential Rose, by Bernardini and enters into her first graded stakes race in the Caress. She is a winner of five races in seven career starts, but recently switched to turf for the first time in May at Pimlico. In that five furlong optional claiming sprint, Joel Rosario had her positioned a bit further back than usual at the start, but an easy stretch run made it clear that the surface change wouldn’t be a problem. A second turf victory last time out at Belmont strengthened her grass resume, now stepping up in class against more seasoned veterans of this surface. Roses for Debra should maintain a stalking position in this field, now getting Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons in place of trainer Christophe Clement’s usual rider in Joel Rosario who will be in Monmouth for Haskell day. Entering as the favorite in a small field will be nothing new for Roses for Debra, but this will be a tough challenge if she is to pick up her first graded win and nab the opening stakes victory for Midlantic runners at the Spa. Roses for Debra was bred by Blackstone Farm LLC and is owned by John O’Meara.