Pennsylvania-bred Roses for Debra kicked off the Keystone State's biggest weekend of Thoroughbred racing in fine fashion for the home team, as she got up along the inside in the final strides for a stirring, track-record victory in the Grade 2, $300,250 Presque Isle Masters Stakes on Friday night at the eponymous track.
Friday’s biggest card of the season at Presque Isle, with the Masters headlining four stakes at the Erie, Pa., track, came on the eve of the biggest day of the year at Parx Racing in Bensalem, about six hours away across the state. Eleven stakes there on Saturday will be topped by two Grade 1, $1 million events in the Pennsylvania Derby and the sister race, the Cotillion. The Masters is linked to the Pennsylvania Derby in a special “Keystone Double” wager, while the Masters, Friday’s $150,000 Presque Isle Mile, Pennsylvania Derby, and Cotillion make up the “Pennsylvania Pick 4.”
Before attention turns to Parx, though, Roses for Debra ($5) collected her latest flowers for owners Cheyenne Stable and John O'Meara and trainer Christophe Clement. The 5-year-old Liam’s Map mare, bred in Pennsylvania by Blackstone Farm, has now won five career stakes, adding this triumph to the 2022 Malvern Rose at Presque Isle; the Grade 3 Caress and the Smart N Fancy, both at Saratoga, in 2023; and the Grade 3 Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland earlier this year. Despite finishing second in the Grade 2 Intercontinental at Saratoga and third in this year’s Smart N Fancy, she was favored for the Masters on Presque Isle’s Tapeta.
Roses for Debra, under Irad Ortiz Jr., was forwardly placed in third early, but found herself shuffled back to fifth after the opening half-mile while still saving ground, as up front, She’s Fire, pressed by Heaven Rules, zipped through that half in 44.98 seconds.
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Pandora’s Gift, who had been tracking nicely in fourth, ranged up on the outside as those leaders faded and took the lead in the stretch. Roses for Debra angled in and steadily ate in to the leader’s margin in a long drive. She was up on the inside by an official margin of a neck – and it looked like a short neck – at the wire.
She stopped the clock in 1:13.92 for the 6 1/2 furlongs, eclipsing the prior track mark of 1:14.57 set by Artie's Princess in the 2022 Masters.
After Roses for Debra and Pandora's Gift, it was 1 1/2 lengths back to Gal in a Rush, also trained by Clement, in third, as she held off Nice as Pie by a half-length for that spot. Sunday Shoes, Baby No Worries, She's Fire, Jill Jitterbug, and Heaven Rules rounded out the order of finish.
Earlier on the card, the evening's other six-figure event went to Forever Souper, who kept his win streak going by winning the $150,000 Presque Isle Mile – actually, a 1 1/16-mile race – for older horses, also setting a track mark.
Favored Forever Souper ($3.80) and Antonio Gallardo had a straightforward trip. They tracked a moderate pace set by second choice K. C. Chief through six furlongs, poked a head in front in the stretch, and outlasted that one to the wire by the same margin. They finished the 1 1/16 miles in a track-record 1:41.23.
It was 1 1/4 lengths to Rondure in third.
This was the third consecutive stakes win, and fifth on the year overall, for Forever Souper, a Florida-born son of American Pharoah who races as a homebred for Live Oak Stud and is trained by Mike Tombetta. He won the Sunshine Turf Stakes and Turf Classic Stakes in Florida earlier this year before finishing third in stakes at Laurel and then Monmouth. He picked his win streak up by taking the Prince George's County at Laurel in July, then the Avery Whisman Memorial at Presque Isle in August.
Trombetta and Gallardo teamed for two stakes wins on the card, as Bucaro ($10) remained unbeaten in two starts with a win in the $80,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile.
Bucaro was last of eight and had been blocked after a half-mile of the 6 1/2-furlong race, but split foes and was up by three-quarters of a length over Speight the Snow. Favored Mr. Squeaky Wheels was third as the field finished up in 1:16.15.
Maryland-bred Bucaro, by New York stallion Bucchero, races for Commonwealth New Era Racing and Marie Trombetta. He won his debut at Colonial Downs.
Foxtastic ($6.40) drove to a dazzling 4 1/4-length win in the $80,000 Presque Isle Debutante. The filly, with Kazushi Kimura in the irons, drove past early leader Perfect Figure, and Mrs Worldwide was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third. The filly finished the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.02, faster than the colts.
Foxtastic, an LNJ Foxwoods homebred daughter of Speightstown, finished second on debut at Woodbine for Josie Carroll – and was thought well enough of to come right back in a stakes.
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