Roses For Debra Seeks to Stay Perfect in Turf Monster

If the successes already achieved in 2023 are any indication, Roses For Debra  is going to be difficult to stop. 

Her next challenge comes Sept. 23 in the Turf Monster Stakes (G3T) at Parx Racing. Should she be victorious, the 4-year-old filly by Liam's Map   would improve upon her 4-0-0 mark from four starts.

She won her first graded stakes earlier this year—the Caress Stakes (G3T)—and is looking to add to that tally. The win in the Caress was the first-ever in a graded stakes for her owner John O'Meara. 

He told BloodHorse earlier this year, "It's nice to have horses good enough to go to the top circuit and race in the top races with top trainers taking care of them." 

That trainer is Christophe Clement, who has the gray or roan filly in top form. 

En route to her perfect record this year, she's never won by less than 2 1/4 lengths. This will be a different type of challenge for her, however, because Roses For Debra has never raced against the boys. 

She was scratched from the Sept. 18 Presque Isle Downs Masters (G2), a 6 1/2-furlong race on synthetic, and re-entered in Saturday's race.

The field of 12 plus three also eligibles includes the Indiana-bred gelding Nobody Listens , who has only failed to finish in the top three once in seven starts this year (4-1-1). He's won three straight including the Parx Dash Stakes last time out. That race was the same distance of five furlongs as the Turf Monster and on the same course.

DID YOU KNOW? 

*    The purse for the race is down $50,000 from last year.

*    Should Roses for Debra win, O'Meara would eclipse his best earnings year ($335,632 in 2015).