Caress Provides Rematch of Intercontinental Leaders

Sometimes a race is so good, you have to see it again. That appears to be the case with the July 25 Caress Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course. The top three finishers in the June 7 Intercontinental Stakes (G2T) who were separated by a neck run it back in Thursday's sprint over the same 5 1/2 furlongs at the Spa.

Roses for Debra , who has hit the board in all but two of her 13 career starts, enters the $200,000 Caress as a the favorite. The daughter of Liam's Map   will break from post 10 as the 8-5 morning-line favorite. 

Last time out in the Intercontinental Stakes at the Spa, the gray or roan mare fell short by a head at the wire. She stalked the lead but didn't have enough down the stretch, running out of real estate. It was a rare defeat for the 5-year-old, whose record stands at 8-2-1 from 13 starts. 

The winner in the June clash was Future Is Now  (7-2). The Larry Johnson homebred shadowed the leader, Kaufymaker , before springing to the outside with a furlong left and holding on for the win. 

Roses for Debra barely eked out placing in the Intercontinental as rival Kaufymaker (9-2) was a head back in third. Greg Kaufman's homebred sired by Jimmy Creed   will also be seeking a measure of revenge in the Caress. 

Not to be counted out is Danse Macabre . The filly is on the cusp of breaking the $1 million in earnings benchmark and has finished first or second nine times in 10 career starts.