African Rose faces track specialists in Molly Brown

African Rose has shown versatility as a stakes winner at both one and two turns. She will seek to expand her horizons Sunday, when she makes her first start at Arapahoe Park in the $40,000 Molly Brown. African Rose is chasing her fourth straight win and is part of a 10-horse field that includes track specialists Lady Contender and Lady Jila.

The Molly Brown, at six furlongs, is restricted to fillies and mares.

African Rose invades from New Mexico, where she began her win streak in January, when she accounted for an optional $15,000 claiming sprint at Sunland Park. She proceeded to win the track’s $50,160 El Diario at 6 1/2 furlongs in February, then moved to two turns and defended her win in the $75,080 Harry Henson Mile on the Sunland Derby undercard in her most recent start March 23.

Travis Wales has the mount on African Rose, a front-runner who on the turnback in distance Sunday might get a tracking trip off Lady Jila and perhaps Rusila. Justin Evans trains African Rose, a 5-year-old by Bwana Charlie, for Judge Lanier Racing.

Lady Contender is returning to Arapahoe off a stakes win at Fonner Park on May 3. She is a four-time winner over the Colorado strip and has finished second four times from 11 starts at Arapahoe. Lady Jila is 8 for 14 at the Colorado track. She won at Arapahoe in her most recent start, when she accounted for a five-furlong allowance race May 25.