Tuesday, July 29 2008

Desert Vixen Prospect Oilgonewile in Thursday Allowance Feature

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 28, 2008) – Chester Bishop and partners’ 2-year-old filly Oilgonewile made a big impression winning her career debut on June 28 at Calder Race Course by 3 ½ lengths for trainer Kirk Ziadie, and will likely be favored in her second start in Thursday’s ‘a other than’ allowance at 5 ½ furlongs with jockey Elver Nunez getting the return call.

A chestnut daughter of Montbrook, Oilgonewile was a $65,000 OBS March 2-year-old sales purchase and was well backed at less than 3-to-1 in her first start at 4 ½ furlongs. A good effort Thursday would likely earn her a berth in the $100,000 Desert Vixen Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Sat., Aug. 16.

Monday, July 28 2008

‘Luckie Mann’ Makes Imposing Debut for Wolfson

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 27, 2008) – Saturday at Calder Race Course was a good day for trainer Marty Wolfson’s powerful stable with Edmund Gann’s 6-year-old Olympic winning the $55,000 Mataji overnight stakes by 4 ½ lengths early in the program and Kramer Stable’s 2-year-old You Luckie Mann making a sensational career debut in the 12th race, drawing off to score by 14 lengths.

The victory by Olympic came on the main track at 1 ¼ miles after the race was forced off turf, originally scheduled for 1 3/8 miles, and was particularly important for his future as a potential stud prospect as a son of Danzig out of 1991 Eclipse champion mare Queena. Olympic has won three races here since joining the Wolfson barn last summer, but this was his first in a race with ‘Black-Type’ status.

Sunday, July 27 2008

Yesbyjimminy Impressive in Friday Allowance Victory

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 26, 2008) – Trilogy Stable’s 4-year-old homebred colt Yesbyjimminy romped home an eight-length winner of Friday’s eighth race ‘money’ allowance at Calder Race Course as the even-money favorite, and trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. will ponder options for the future that could include an overnight stakes here or a trip to the mid-Atlantic to join his full division stabled at Monmouth Park for the summer.

“I think it just took him a race or two to get going again when he came back,” said Plesa Saturday morning from Monmouth where he will send out Centaur Farms’ homebred 5-year-old Gottcha Gold as the morning line favorite in the $75,000 Skip Away Stakes this afternoon. “He (Yesbyjimminy) indicated that he was coming back to himself when he won his last start.”

Pick’s Express & Capulet Likely Choices in Monday Allowance Feature

Herman Heinlein’s Pick’s Express and Padua Stable’s Capulet are homebred 2-year-olds that have shown promise early on breaking their maidens at Calder, and will take the next step in their careers as the probable favorites among seven colts and geldings entered in Monday’s ‘a other than’ allowance race at 5 ½ furlongs.

Jockey Manoel Cruz has ridden Capulet in all three of his starts for trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. and was aboard Pick’s Express in his only appearance for trainer Jose Pinchin, and had opted for the latter in Monday’s race while Manuel Aguilar gets the call on Capulet.

How’s Your Halo is Heaven-Sent for Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 26, 2008) – When Brian Prichard’s How’s Your Halo finished second in the $400,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (G2) behind the country’s top-ranked sprinter Benny the Bull on July 12 at Calder Race Course, the folks at Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Florida may have not been aware of what an important accomplishment it was. But after local country radio station WKIS 99.9 FM held a “radiothon” benefiting the organization on Friday, July 25, they now know.

Saturday, July 26 2008

Calder Barn Notes: 7-25-08

My Sweet Natalie Prominent on Georgia Juvenile Fillies Roster

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 25, 2008) – Owner-breeder-trainer Wesley Ward is busy with horses campaigning at major racing centers coast-to-coast this summer, including a division at Calder Race Course, and shipped 2-year-old filly My Sweet Natalie in earlier this season with apparent designs on the $75,000 Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf Dash on Sat., Aug. 2, a race he won last year.

Ward brought Excessive Heat to Calder last summer after his homebred daughter of Bring the Heat had made her first two starts in California where she was bred, and she won the Georgia Juvenile Filly Turf by 4 ¾ lengths in her grass course debut, later selling her privately to Chicago-based trainer Larry Rivelli and partner Richard Ravin.

Friday, July 25 2008

He’s Eze Returns in Saturday Allowance

Earl Silver and Michael Eiserman’s He’s Eze gave his owners and trainer Terry Oliver some legitimate encouragement that the colt could be a Kentucky Derby (G1) prospect last fall when he posted a 30-to-1 upset in the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile with Smooth Air second on Florida Million Day in November at Calder Race Course.

However, the son of Silver Deputy proved a cut below some leaders of his generation when fourth in the LeComte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds in January and fifth and sixth in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and Rebel Handicap (G2), respectively, at Oaklawn Park in February and March. In his lone start since, He’s Eze tired to 10th of 11 trying turf for the first time in the Calder Derby (G3) here on Apr. 26.

‘Crazyguy’ & Olympic Clash in Mataji Saturday at Calder

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 24, 2008) – Stamina will be the premium quality required from the field of 10 older horses entered in Saturday’s $55,000 Mataji overnight stakes at Calder Race Course with Lewis Pell and Michael Eigner’s Imawildandcrazyguy and Edmund Gann’s Olympic likely to be among the choices in the 1 3/8 miles turf test.

Jockey Manoel Cruz gets the call on Imawildandcrazyguy for trainer Bill Kaplan after an unfortunate foray to New York where he finished last of six in the 12-furlong Brooklyn Handicap (G2) last out on June 6, a performance well below his best form established during a career that has yielded earnings of $546,000.

Tuesday, July 22 2008

Point Determined Entered in Friday Allowance Feature at Calder

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 21, 2008) – St. George Stable’s 5-year-old Point Determined was last seen under colors finishing a well-beaten seventh behind Strong Contender and Lawyer Ron in the Super Derby (G2) at Louisiana Downs in September of 2006 for the Bob and Beverly Lewis Trust with Bob Baffert as trainer.

Runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and ninth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) earlier that season, Point Determined has re-surfaced at Calder Race Course in the care of the meet’s current leading trainer Kirk Ziadie, and is entered in Friday’s ‘money’ allowance feature at six furlongs with jockey Ariel Smith named to ride in the in the field of seven older horses.

Monday, July 21 2008

Calder Barn Notes: 7-20-08

Smooth Air Back Home and at Work at Calder

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 20, 2008) - Mount Joy Stable’s 3-year-old Florida homebred Smooth Air breezed an easy five furlongs in 1:02 2/5 Sunday morning at Calder Race Course for trainer Bennie Stutts, Jr., posting his first workout since romping to a four-length victory in the $300,000 Ohio Derby (G2) at Thistledown on May 31.

“We got back here about 10 days ago,” said the veteran horsemen, who took Smooth Air and 3-year-old filly stablemate Cubs Fan to Arlington Park to train after the Ohio Derby victory. Mount Joy owner Brian Burns and his family live in Chicago. One original plan for the Smooth Jazz colt’s next start after the Ohio race was the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows in late June, but he was forced to miss that spot.

Tuesday, July 15 2008

Awesome Alexandra Bids for Fourth Straight in Thursday Feature

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (July 14, 2008) - Farnsworth Stables’ 4-year-old filly Awesome Alexandra has won her last three races at Calder Race Course by clear margins in starter/allowance competition, and trainer Marty Wolfson will take advantage of her ‘two other than’ allowance conditions for her next appearance Thursday as the likely odds-on favorite facing six rival fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs.

Apprentice jockey Paco Lopez gets a return call after riding Awesome Alexandra in all three of her easy victories at the meet, the first two sprinting by more than six lengths each time, and the last at 1 1/16 miles by 2 ½ lengths after that race on June 20 was forced off turf.

Juvenile Starter/Allowance Events Featured Friday

Two-year-olds will be in the spotlight on Friday’s 10-race program at Calder Race Course with a pair of starter/allowance races at five furlongs, one for colts and geldings and the other restricted to fillies that broke their maidens for a claiming tag of $32,000 or less.

Stride Rite Racing Stable and NTS Stable’s chestnut gelding Cinnamon Road may rule the choice in the colts and geldings division with apprentice Paco Lopez named to ride for trainer Milt Wolfson. The son of Delaware Township broke his maiden by 3 ¼ lengths going five furlongs on July 4 after a fourth-place debut as the favorite in a maiden special event.