Roses for Debra faces 8 rivals in Presque Isle Downs Masters
Photo:
Carson Blevins / Eclipse Sportswire
Top Pennsylvania-bred mare Roses for Debra is set to clash with an accomplished and well-matched field of
nine fillies and mares, including recent Grade 3 winner Gal in a Rush,
synthetic-track specialist Nice as Pie and European invader Pandora’s
Gift next Friday in the 16th running of the Grade 2, $300,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes.
Run at 6 1/2 furlongs, the Presque Isle Downs Masters will
go as race 9 of 10 with a post time of 7:36 p.m. EDT. The first post is at 4
p.m. The program also includes the Presque Isle Downs Mile, the Presque Isle
Debutante and the Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile.
Click here for Presque Isle Downs entries and results.
John O’Meara and Cheyenne Stable’s Roses for Debra, trained
by Christophe Clément, enters the race with a solid résumé including eight
wins from 14 starts and earnings of $637,868.
The daughter of Liam’s Map has competed against some of the
country’s top turf sprinters throughout her career, including Nobals in
last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Following her disappointing ninth-place
finish there, Roses for Debra bounced back to the winner’s circle as a
5-year-old, winning the Giant’s Causeway Stakes (G3) in April at Keeneland.
Roses for Debra will break from post 2 in the Masters under five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Gal in a Rush, also trained by Clément, enters the race
off a victory in the Hendrie Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. Owned by West Point
Thoroughbreds, Chris Larsen and Titletown Racing Stables, she will be
ridden by Dylan Davis from post 8 as she seeks her fifth career win.
Adding international intrigue is Pandora’s Gift, a four-time
winner from Europe. Owned and trained by Stuart Williams, she already
has proven herself on a synthetic surface, winning a stakes race in late May at
Chelmsford, England. Colonial Downs’ leading rider Ben Curtis will be
aboard in post 7.
Nice as Pie, a homebred filly
for Dede McGehee trained by Kelsey Danner, is another key contender. She was a narrow
runner-up in the Pennsylvania Oaks in May and has thrived on synthetic,
winning three races at Turfway Park during the winter. Adam Beschizza will
pilot her from post 6.
The deep field for the Masters also
includes local prep-race winner Sunday Shoes, who finished first in the
Satin and Lace Stakes four weeks ago under Rafael Hernández for Wesley
Ward. Owned by Lael Stables, Sunday Shoes will break from the rail.
Next weekend bettors may enjoy two special wagers featuring
action across the state. The 50-cent Pennsylvania Pick 4 starts with the
Presque Isle Mile and Presque Isle Downs Masters next Friday. It concludes next
Saturday at Parx with the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) and $1 million
Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Along with the special Pick 4 wagers, players also may bet
the two-day Keystone daily double that covers the Presque Isle Downs Masters
and Pennsylvania Derby. The wager is a $1 minimum.
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Sunday Shoes Pioneerof the Nile |
0.00 |
1st, Satin and Lace S. |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, Satin and Lace S. |
|||||
| 2 |
|
Roses For Debra Liam’s Map |
6.47 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 3 |
|
Jill Jitterbug Cross Traffic |
0.00 |
5th, KD AOC (08/29/2024-R8) |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
5th, KD AOC (08/29/2024-R8) |
|||||
| 4 |
|
Baby No Worries Mr Speaker |
0.00 |
4th, Satin and Lace S. |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
4th, Satin and Lace S. |
|||||
| 5 |
|
Heaven Rules Midshipman |
0.00 |
1st, PID ALW (08/28/2024-R7) |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
1st, PID ALW (08/28/2024-R7) |
|||||
| 6 |
|
Nice as Pie Tapiture |
5.09 |
2nd, Penn Oaks |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
2nd, Penn Oaks |
|||||
| 7 |
|
Pandora’s Gift Churchill |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
| 8 |
|
Gal in a Rush Ghostzapper |
5.34 |
2nd, Seaway S. |
Entered | |
|
Last Race Next Race |
2nd, Seaway S. |
|||||
| 9 |
|
She’s Fire Flameaway |
0.00 | Entered | ||
|
Last Race Next Race |
||||||
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