Clement weighing options for turf-sprint star Roses for Debra

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Among the dream matchups racing fans might clamor to see before the end of the Saratoga season is a meeting between the gray filly and mare turf sprint stars Caravel and Roses for Debra. The latter thrust herself into the picture for division honors with an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Caress Stakes here Saturday.

Unfortunately, while the paths of the two fillies could be destined to cross at some time during the second half of the year, that meeting does not seem to be in the cards this meet.

Roses for Debra remained perfect on the year and won for the sixth time in eight starts – one of her loses came via a stewards disqualification – when exploding through the stretch to a 2 1/4-length decision over Grade 1-placed Wakanaka in the 5 1/2-furlong Caress. Roses for Debra, who is trained by Christophe Clement and owned by John O’Meara, earned a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

Clement said Monday that Roses for Debra came out of the race in excellent order and has several alternatives for her next start, including the $150,000 Smart N Fancy here on Aug. 25. Trainer Brad Cox bypassed the Caress with reigning Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel to face males in the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy on Aug. 5.

“She came out of the race in very good shape,” Clement said of Roses for Debra during training hours on Monday. “We have to decide between the stakes at Saratoga four weeks away, the stakes at Kentucky Downs [$1 million Mint Ladies Sprint, Sept. 9], or the stakes at Presque Isle [Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters, Sept. 18].”

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The Presque Isle Masters is run on Tapeta.

As for a potential meeting with Caravel, Clement quipped, “I’ll worry about my horse and let him [trainer Brad Cox] worry about his.”

Clement took over Roses for Debra’s training during the spring and has been singing her praises right along in light of her two previous victories, in similarly one-sided fashion against allowance competition at Pimlico and Belmont Park, prior to her eye-catching performance in the Caress.

“She’s been impressive every single race, she’s been a very good filly,” Clement said. “I ran her back a little quick the other day but I thought she took the race at Belmont very well, which is why I ran her here. The two races here [Caress and Smart N Fancy] are four weeks apart, which is fine. The one at Presque Isle is more.

“I don’t think I can run her back at Saratoga and make the Kentucky Downs race. So we’ll have to decide. The races at Presque Isle and Kentucky Downs are at 6 1/2 [furlongs], but that should be all right. She’s won at that distance before.”

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