England's Rose points to Red Carpet Handicap for graded debut

ARCADIA, Calif. - England’s Rose had a busy summer at Del Mar, winning once, with two seconds, in three starts on turf.

The success led to a win in her stakes debut in Saturday’s $78,700 Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

The Swingtime was restricted to non-winners of a stakes worth $60,000 or more to the winner at a mile other than statebred races this year.

Trainer John Shirreffs said Sunday that England’s Rose is scheduled to have her graded stakes debut in the Grade 3 Red Carpet Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 25.

England’s Rose races for the partnership Mercedes Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, Dottie and David Ingordo, and Steve Mooney.

England’s Rose, purchased for $140,000 as a yearling in 2017, has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $159,440.

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At Del Mar, England’s Rose was second in allowance races at a mile and at 1 1/16 miles before winning a race at that level at 1 3/8 miles on Sept. 3.

“I was surprised at Del Mar,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “She ran three times and each time it was no big deal in recovery. For me to run a horse three times at that meeting means they’re begging to run.”

Shirreffs is known for his conservative nature regarding starting horses. Through Sunday, Shirreffs had 16 winners from 86 starters this year. Several of his colleagues at Santa Anita have had more than 500 starters this year.

Shirreffs had 77 starters in 2020, a season in which Southern California racing was disrupted by the pandemic in the spring and briefly by a wildfire in late summer.

The $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap is likely to be the lone start at Del Mar for the 5-year-old England’s Rose. Shirreffs has two candidates for Breeders’ Cup races there on Nov. 6 – Astronaut in the Turf and Express Train in the Classic.