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Liam’s Map Filly Shows Class in Saratoga’s Caress

Despite never having won against open stakes company, Roses for Debra nonetheless installed the 8-5 choice to best four others in Saturday's GIII Caress S. at Saratoga. Undefeated in a pair of starts since joining Christophe Clement's string earlier this season, the Pennsylvania-bred filly made short work of her rivals, coming from off the pace to win by an authoritative victory over Wakanaka (Ire).

MGSW Our Flash Drive (Ghostzapper) got off to an awkward start, spotting the field a couple of lengths as 2-1 chance Bubble Rock took control while Roses for Debra settled two lengths behind through a snappy quarter in :20.95. With Bubble Rock still in front turning for home, Wakanaka loomed up on the outside of the favorite and it appeared to be anybody's race. Unrelenting down the center of the course, Roses for Debra collared Bubble Rock midstretch and powered home a three-length winner over Wakanaka who outlasted the early front runner.

“She broke well. I thought there was going to be a little more speed in the race, but she broke so well so I just sat on her,” ridere Irad Ortiz Jr., winning his fourth race on the day's card. “When the other horse [No. 2, Bubble Rock] went, I just followed the leader. After that, I just let her do her thing from the quarter pole.”

Under the care of Presque Isle trainer Michelle Brafford, the grey reeled off a quartet of synthetic wins at that venue, including the Malvern Rose S. against state-bred company one year ago. Fourth while stepping into better company in a six furlong main track test at Keeneland in October, she came home fourth before resurfacing in 2023 with Clement.

“She came [to me] in the spring,” explained Clement. “One of our owners, Mr. [Dean] Reeves, tried to buy her last year, so we knew about the filly. The deal fell through, but we liked her. I knew the owner because we trained for the owner years ago and he's also the breeder of Big Invasion [Clement-trained graded-stakes winner]–the good sprinter–so, I got the phone call to train her which is great. I'm absolutely delighted to have her in the barn.”

Trying the turf for the first time at Pimlico this season, the 4-year-old came from off the pace to score sprinting five panels against optional claiming company May 19 before posting yet another win while progressing into 3X company and adding an extra furlong at Belmont July 3.

“She's very good. She was impressive at Pimlico. She was very impressive at Belmont,” said Clement. “She came out of the race at Belmont in great shape. When you run at Belmont you don't have to ship, you take them straight from the stalls to the paddock and back. I know it was ambitious, but why not have a look. It worked out. It's nice when you're aggressive and it works out.”

Pedigree Notes:
Rose for Debra represents the ninth group/graded stakes winner for MGISW Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song). Out of the unraced Bernardini mare Essential Rose, the filly is a half-sister to SW Rose's Vision (Artie Schiller). A daughter of the GSW Essential Edge (Storm Cat), the 12-year-old mare is from the prolific family of Flame Of Tara (Ire), responsible for a bevy of accomplished runners, including Irish Highweight route horse Salsabil (Ire) and G1SW Marju (Ire).

Saturday, Saratoga
CARESS S.-GIII, $194,000, Saratoga, 7-22, 4yo/up, f/m,
5 1/2fT, 1:02.39, gd.
1–ROSES FOR DEBRA, 120, f, 4, by Liam's Map
              1st Dam: Essential Rose, by Bernardini
              2nd Dam: Essential Edge, by Storm Cat
              3rd Dam: Rose of Tara (Ire), by Generous (Ire)
   1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $25,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-John O'Meara; B-Blackstone Farm LLC (PA);
T-Christophe Clement; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 8-6-1-0, $323,930. *1/2 to Rose's Vision (Artie
Schiller), SW-USA, MSP-Can, $264,358. Werk Nick Rating:
A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style
pedigree.
2–Wakanaka (Ire), 124, m, 5, Power (GB)–Storyline (Ire), by
Kodiac (GB). (£3,500 Ylg '19 GOFFPR; $975,000 RNA 4yo '22
KEENOV). O-Team Valor International and Gary Barber; B-Mrs
Jean Brennan (IRE); T-William I. Mott. $40,000.
3–Bubble Rock, 124, f, 4, More Than Ready–Reef Point, by
Giant's Causeway. O/B-Shortleaf Stable (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$24,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, NK, HD. Odds: 1.75, 4.80, 2.30.
Also Ran: Poppy Flower, Our Flash Drive. Scratched: Bank On Anna.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs.
VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Saratoga Notebook: Hit Show, Angel of Empire Work Ahead of Jim Dandy

GSWs Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) breezed five furlongs in company over Saratoga's Oklahoma dirt training track Saturday as both horses prepare for the July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. at the Spa.

Under clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, the Brad Cox-trained pair stepped onto the fast track right at 5:30 a.m. with Flavien Prat aboard Angel of Empire and Luis Saez on Hit Show. The two walked in tandem midway up the stretch before turning back around to assume their starting position. Angel of Empire was positioned to the inside of Hit Show with the two completing their exercise on nearly even terms.

Cox said this week's work was almost identical to their July 14 work when the two covered five-eighths in 1:00.90.

“I had them in a minute and four [fifths] this weekend and last,” he said. “It was really good and very similar to what we saw last week. I loved that work and I loved this work. They work well together and it went so well last week, I didn't want to change much. I was very happy with what we saw.”

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show and Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire were last seen dead-heating for fourth in the GI Belmont S. Hit Show won the GIII Withers S. in February before a runner-up effort in the Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial, while Angel of Empire took the Feb. 18 GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds followed by the Apr. 1 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He subsequently finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby.

Also Working at Saratoga Saturday..
Saturday morning's work tab also featured MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who went a half-mile solo over the Oklahoma turf training track ahead of an anticipated start against males in the GIII Troy S. Aug. 5. The 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champion worked just after 10 a.m. under regular exercise rider Kelvin Perez.

The 6-year-old previously posted a half-mile breeze in :48.88 on July 15.

“It was really good and again, it was similar to last week,” affirmed trainer Brad Cox. “I was super happy this morning. Kelvin [Perez] was on her and does a great job with her. He was on her last year. She's very professional.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher also sent out Stonestreet Stables' homebred Julia Shining (Curlin) to a half-mile move in :50.22 over the main track Saturday morning. The full-sister to dual Champion Malathaat was last seen finishing third in the GI Ashland S. in April at Keeneland.

According to Pletcher, the GII Demoiselle S. winner may make her next start in 10-furlong GI Alabama S. Aug. 19 at Saratoga.

“She's really starting to come around. She's just getting going but looking good so far,” Pletcher said. “You never know, the Alabama might be in play if things were to go perfectly. The one thing is I know she wants the mile and a quarter. If she wants it under that scenario having not run since the Ashland is the question.”

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Blinkers On For Forte

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte (Violence) worked in blinkers Saturday morning at Saratoga Race Course and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt will have them on in the GII Jim Dandy on July 29.

“We just want to get him a little bit more locked in,” he said.

Pletcher described the small blinker is a French cup with some holes in it.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Forte, who worked in company with MGSW Emmanuel, breezed a half-mile on the main track in :50. Emmanuel remains on target for the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave H.

Pletcher said he was happy with Forte's work.

“I thought he went really well,” he said. “He was enjoying himself out there.”

It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 July 14.

“I feel like he lost focus a little bit in the [GI] Florida Derby in the middle of the turn and in the [GI] Belmont. It might have cost him the Belmont,” Pletcher said.

He continued, “Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him. We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Forte has won six of eight career starts and was the 2-year-old male champion last year after compiling consecutive Grade I victories in the Hopeful, the Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

He opened his 2023 campaign with a 4 1/2-length victory in the GI Fountain of Youth. In the Florida Derby he made a huge rally in the stretch to overtake Mage (Good Magic) and win by one length. Forte, the morning-line favorite, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby the morning of the race because of a bruised foot. He was second in the Belmont, 1 1/2 lengths behind Arcangelo (Arrogate).

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Summer Breezes: Sunday, July 23, 2023

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at both Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits.

Summer Breezes highlights debuting 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. To follow are the horses entered for Sunday at Saratoga and Ellis and Del Mar:

Sunday, July 23, 2023
Saratoga 1, $136k, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:10 p.m. ET
Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze
Sassy Princess (Cairo Prince), OBSMAR, 120,000, click
C-Dynasty Thoroughbreds; B-Jeffrey Bloom, agent

Ellis 3, $70k, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:43 p.m. ET
Maybe Magic (Good Magic), OBSAPR, 60,000, click
C-All Dreams Equine, agent; B-Stone Bridge Farm
Panthera (Not This Time), OBSAPR, 70,000, click
C-McKathan Bros Sales, agent; B-Chuck Hovitz

Ellis 4, $70k, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 2:13 p.m. ET
Henro (Collected), OBSMAR, 45,000, click
C-de Meric Sales, agent; B-C Hartman, agt JD TBS LLC & J Davis
Sabres (Kantharos), OBSJUN, 60,000, click
C-All Dreams Equine; B-Dennis O'Neill

Del Mar 8, $82k, 2yo, 5f, 8:35 p.m. ET
Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), OBSAPR, 75,000, click
C-Randy Bradshaw, agent; B-Steve Rothblum, agt for Mark Davis
Tall Paul (Frosted), OBSMAR, 475,000, click
C-Grade One Investments LLC, agent; B-Three Amigos

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