The Rose Handicap
At a mile and an eighth on the dirt
For Three-year-olds and Upwards
Bred in the state of Florida
Calder Racecourse
A purse of $150.000
November 12, 2011
An exciting racing carnival at Calder this Saturday with several stakes races set to take place but none more exciting than the Rose Handicap which is
Florida’s take on the Classic. The race is for
Florida bred horses Three-years-old and Upwards. In its third year of running the size of the field hasn't seem to attract many entrants and this year is no different as there are only four horses entered.
Epochate from the barn of Angelos Stable will be looking for his first Stakes win. He came close on several occasions but never seem to get it right. He is coming into this race off a good showing in his last start by winning a mile Optional Claiming/ Allowance race by a length on a surface listed as good and not in a bad time either. With his last few races on the Calder dirt track this looks to be a positive sign for both the horse and his connection.
Maverick Racing will be represented by Condottiere. He too has tried his hand at some stakes races in the past but unlike Epochate was a Graded Stakes winner a three. Since his four-year-old season however he has not been as consistent against Graded Stakes horses nor Allowance runners, in fact his only win this year came in the Charity race at Mountaineer Racetrack back in March. No winning votes here.
Super barn Dynark Stables has done most things right so far with his runners, and by no means will his trainee do him wrong. Represented by the lone three-year-old in the field Crazy Gnarls he will have a strong hand in the outcome. Even though Crazy Gnarls has never won a race he would have the been battled tested as he has raced mainly at the higher level tracks and I am sure he has competed with some really classy ones. Coming back home to
Florida is more like redemption and all may need to look out for this Gnarly Crazy horse.
And finally, in the small field Whitewater Stables sends out his speedy gelding Tensweesh winner of the charity race at Mountaineer back in March. He is a speedy sort that if he gets to the lead and can keep he can be a danger. The only concern is that he has tried the distance before but he never finishes better than fourth. He will definitely be the speed in the race but if the jock rides a tactical race he has the opportunity to go gate to wire.
