Rose to Gold faces deep cast in My Charmer

Rose to Gold will be tested for versatility when she tries the turf in the My Charmer (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography)

Multiple Grade 3 winner Rose to Gold, three-year-old winner of the Fantasy
and Honeybee at Oaklawn earlier this year, returns to action on Saturday in the
$100,000 My
Charmer Handicap, one of a trio of Grade 3 events highlighting a nine-race
program at Calder.

Sidelined since early May after having surgery to remove bone chips, the
connections of Rose to Gold have selected a difficult spot for her return. The
My Charmer is scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf, a surface she has never run
over before. It’s also attracted a very deep group that includes graded stakes
winners Strathnaver and Somali Lemonade.

Last seen finishing eighth of 10 in the Kentucky Oaks, Rose to Gold has some
things going for her. A descendant of Grade 1 turf winner Antespend on her
sire’s side, she has thrived in previous outings over sloppy surfaces which is
often an indicator of potentially liking grass. Rose to Gold romped by 13
lengths in her debut at Calder last summer in the slop, and zipped to a 4
1/2-length victory in the Fantasy in her penultimate start.

Strathnaver has won stakes at Keeneland and Laurel this term (Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Coup, who took the $100,000 Hilltop at Pimlico in 2012 before going to the
sidelines for 16 months, made a successful return to the track when taking a
second-level allowance at Keeneland in October. Also trained by Motion, the
four-year-old daughter of Empire Maker races in the familiar green and white
silks of breeder George Strawbridge.

Another Grade 3 winner in the field is Naples Bay. Though winless since
taking the Noble Damsel at Belmont in September 2012, the Christophe Clement
trainee was a close fifth in the same race last time after stumbling at the
start, and was previously a solid second in the Matchmaker at Monmouth Park.

Entering the My Charmer on winning streaks are Parranda, who landed the
Millions Filly & Mare Turf Preview and Our Dear Peg at Gulfstream in her last
two, and Angelica Zapata, who’s won the Capano Handicap, Wasted Tears and
Nancy’s Glitter Handicap in her last three.

Fred W. Hooper entrants Ducduc and Csaba (hidden) dead-heated for the win in the same race 12 months ago (Coady Photography)

Philly Ace, sidelined since taking the 2012 Tropical Turf by a half-length,
will square off against Bad Debt, who exits a romping 6 1/2-length win in the
Millions Turf Preview at Gulfstream and who is undefeated in two starts on the
Calder turf.

Others likely to attract support are Heiko, who captured the $100,000 The Vid
at Gulfstream in early September; Paris Vegas and Tetradrachm, second and third,
respectively, in the Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga in August; and
Clement’s Group 3 winner Speaking of Which.

Entered for the main track only in the Tropical Turf are Grade 3 winners
Csaba and Ducduc, who also hold entries in the Grade 3, $100,000
Fred W. Hooper
Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the main track. The pair dead-heated for the win
in the 2012 Hooper, but have gone their separate ways since then. Csaba has won
three stakes and a recent Calder allowance by 7 1/4 lengths in the interim,
while Ducduc has seen his form decline since a turf allowance win in June.