Calder: Angelica Zapata heads classy crowd in My Charmer

Angelica Zapata will attempt to keep her three-race win streak alive on Saturday, when she takes on a diverse field of fillies and mares as the 122-pound highweight in the Grade 3, $100,000 My Charmer Handicap at Calder Race Course.

The 1 1/8-mile turf race also serves as the comeback for Rose to Gold against a group that includes graded winners Strathnaver, Somali Lemonade, and Naples Bay.

The My Charmer is one of three Grade 3, $100,000 handicaps on the card. The Fred W. Hooper drew 23-length allowance winner Valid, while a host of shippers have turned out for the Tropical Turf.[bc_video_id:311621:]

Angelica Zapata is one of 11 stakes winners in the My Charmer, which drew an overflow field of 16, but a maximum of 12 can start. She’s arguably the most accomplished member of the group, with eight of her nine career wins coming in stakes, among them the $50,000 Capano over the Calder turf course in her last start Nov. 2. In her previous two stars, she won the $100,000 Wasted Tears on turf at Gulfstream on Aug. 31 and the $75,000 Nancy’s Glitter on the main track at Calder on July 20.[bc_video_id:311620:]

“She’s a pretty honest mare,” said trainer Ron Pellegrini. “I wouldn’t trade places with anyone.”

Angelica Zapata, a 5-year-old who races for Herman Van Den Broeck, will be making a rare start beyond 1 1/6 miles in the My Charmer.

“The mare she’s out of won up to a mile and three-eighths,” Pellegrini said. “I don’t worry about the extra sixteenth. I don’t think she’ll have a problem handling the mile and an eighth.”

Angelica Zapata will break from post 7 under regular rider Juan Leyva.[bc_video_id:311622:]

Rose to Gold, a five-time stakes winner, will be making her first start since finishing eighth in the Kentucky Oaks. Following the May 3 race she was found to have a bone chip in her left front ankle and underwent surgery to have it removed, as well as other chips that were found in her right front ankle and both knees, according to a press release from Calder. She will be making her turf debut Saturday.

“I just figured [the turf] would be better for her on her first race back,” said trainer Sal Santoro. “I have been dying to try this horse on the grass, but when we were chasing the points for the Oaks, everything had to be about the points.”

During her chase, Rose to Gold won a trio of Grade 3 races – the Delta Downs Princess, Honeybee, and Fantasy.

Naples Bay, another Grade 3 winner, was second in the My Charmer a year ago. She enters off a troubled fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont Park on Sept. 4. Brice Blanc has the mount for trainer Christophe Clement.

Valid challenges Csaba

Valid earned a shot at the Hooper, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up, following a blowout win in the slop at Gulfstream on Nov. 23. He led throughout in the optional $25,000 claimer that came off the grass, and after powering to a 23 1/4-length win was awarded a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 106.

“I was pretty impressed,” said trainer Marcus Vitali. “I definitely expected a big effort out of him, but didn’t expect that kind of Beyer.

“I think he’s worthy of being in this race. I think he deserves a chance off that kind of race.”

Valid, a $500,000 yearling son of Medaglia d’Oro, was making his second start for Vitali, whose client, Carolyn Vogel of Crossed Sabres Farm, purchased the 3-year-old Valid at auction this fall at Saratoga.

“Mrs. Vogel and I picked him out,” Vitali said. “He had just been gelded prior to the sale.”

Vitali said off such a big race, he has been keeping Valid fresh and happy into the Hooper.

“We backed off him a little bit, trying to keep him from bouncing,” Vitali said. “I’m not a big believer in horses bouncing, but I did back off him a little bit off of that [Beyer]. He’s galloped, had a couple of light blowouts. I just want to keep him happy.”

Matthew Rispoli has the mount from post 5.

Csaba, winner of a Calder allowance with a Beyer of 103 in his last start Nov. 16, is the 123-pound highweight. He’s cross-entered main-track-only in the Tropical Turf. In that 1 1/8-mile race, Csaba is weighted at 117.

◗ Paris Vegas is part of a competitive field of 12 for the Tropical Turf, a race for 3-year-olds and up in which he will attempt to get nine furlongs.

“It’s an unknown,” trainer Tom Voss said. “We’ve been toying with the idea of maybe going a little further the way he’s been [closing].

“It looks like there’s plenty of speed in the race, Hopefully, he’ll get a fair shot.”