Roses for Debra looms large if Turf Monster stays on grass
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Weather permitting, Roses for Debra, unbeaten from four starts on turf, will tackle males on Saturday at Parx Racing in the Grade 3, $250,000 Turf Monster Stakes at five furlongs.
As of Thursday morning, the National Weather Service had forecasted an 87 percent chance of heavy rain for Saturday, and that greatly concerns trainer Christophe Clement.
“I’m not comfortable,” Clement said. “The weather looks like a complete nightmare.”
The Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Liam’s Map earned a gaudy 102 Beyer Speed Figure last month when dominating the Smart N Fancy Stakes for fillies and mares at Saratoga.
She was entered in the Grade 2 Presque Isle Downs Masters on synthetic earlier this week, but opted for this race because of the timing, according to Clement, who is eyeing a graded stakes at Keeneland with the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint “in the back of my mind.”
“The filly is doing great,” Clement said. “She came out of the last race in very good shape. She’s 100 percent professional and is a very exciting filly. Unfortunately, I have to deal with the weather. I’m not sure what I’m doing. If we think the turf course is safe and okay, then we will run on it. If I have any question mark about the turf course, then she will not be running.”
Nobody Listens might provide the filly with her strongest competition. An Ohio-bred gelding, Nobody Listens has captured 13 of 25 lifetime starts and enters the Turf Monster on a three-race win streak. He showed an affinity for the Parx sod when working out a good inside-out tracking trip to take the Parx Dash on Aug. 22.
Another filly facing males for the first time is All That Magic, who has been superb since being switched to turf by trainer Kate DeMasi, with four consecutive victories including Monmouth’s Incredible Revenge on Aug. 6.
“She had a little turf pedigree behind her,” DeMasi said about the decision to switch to grass. “It was really more of an experiment, and it was a fruitful experiment.”
In the Incredible Revenge, All That Magic set the pace, was confronted in deep stretch, and then gamely prevailed by a nose.
“She was a little tired as she should be running back in nine days,” DeMasi added. “Other than that, she looked good.”
All That Magic was originally pointed to Laurel Park’s Sensible Lady Turf Dash on Sept. 10, but was withdrawn when that race was washed off the turf.
Trainer Butch Reid entered two salty sprinters in Beren and Smooth B. Beren switches to turf for the first time.
“I’m not going to run him on soft turf,” Reid said. “He’s re-entered in an allowance on Monday.”
Smooth B had a tough trip when third in the Marshall Jenney for Pennsylvania-breds on Aug. 21. Held up in the pocket, he was stymied in behind horses in upper stretch, then didn’t get full clearance until late in the stretch.
“He’s a tough old bird,” Reid said. “He ran one of the better races of his life and just had a tough trip. He came out of it really well. He handles any surface.”
Virginia-bred Determined Kingdom won two state-certified stakes races sprinting on the Colonial turf this summer, including a front-running victory in the Meadow Stable on Sept. 2 for trainer Phil Schoenthal.
Talented Man is another speedster in good form. Unbeaten from two starts on turf, Talented Man is a need-the-lead type, according to trainer Michael Moore.
Just Jeremy finished second but was placed third via disqualification in the Parx Dash. The New York-bred has high early speed. Boat’s a Rockin finished second in this race last year. He is cross-entered on Sunday at Pimlico.
Surprise Boss, Five Dreams, and Belt Parkway, complete the field. Patriarch Artie, Alexis S, and Word On a Wing are on the also-eligible list.
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