MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 1, 2008) – Farnsworth Stable’s 4-year-old filly Awesome Alexandra has posted four consecutive easy victories at Calder Race Course at the meet for trainer Marty Wolfson as she worked her way through starter/allowance and allowance conditions, and will take another step up in class Saturday as one of the choices in the $55,000 Ema Bovary overnight stakes.
Apprentice jockey Paco Lopez has been aboard Awesome Alexandra for each of her last four tallies and gets a return call for Saturday’s 6 ½ furlongs test, facing seven rival fillies and mares in her toughest challenge to date. Wolfson claimed the daughter of Awesome Again for Farnsworth at Gulfstream Park for $25,000 on Mar. 10 and has won five of six since then.
Rgirldoesn’tbluff gets a class break from finishing sixth last out in the $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) on ‘Summit of Speed’ day, July 12. Trained by Kirk Ziadie, the daughter of Pine Bluff ran very well to finish second by a neck to Dixie Dreamer in the U Can Do It Handicap in her previous start, a race she won last year. She showed class this winter at Gulfstream when second to Sugar Swirl in the First Lady Handicap (G3) in January.
Cher Ami is entered to make her first start since tiring to fifth behind Sugar Swirl in the Hurricane Bertie Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream on Feb. 17 after setting a fast pace for a half-mile. Trained by Larry Bates, the daughter of Lost Soldier had a big meet over her Calder home track last year, winning four overnight stakes and the $100,000 Chaposa Springs Handicap in late December.
In addition to Awesome Alexandra, trainer Marty Wolfson also sends out Live Oak Plantation’s 4-year-old homebred filly Slewfoundmoney with jockey Javier Santiago. The daughter of Seeking the Gold out of Grade I winner Borodislew is a recent arrival into the Wolfson barn from trainer Bill Mott’s Arlington Park division where she enjoyed mixed success racing on Polytrack and turf.
Completing the field for the Ema Bovary are Lynn Tarpy and Max Moore’s Hap E to Run, Ray Fuentes; Lynn Scace’s Wild Party Gal, Eduardo Nunez; Timothy O’Toole’s Saratoga Tango, Manuel Aguilar; and Devil Eleven Stable’s Reason to Rejoice, Carlos Olivero.
Sweetnorthernsaint Returns in Sunday Allowance
Joseph Balsamo and Ted Theos’ 5-year-old gelding Sweetnorthernsaint has been far from the spotlight since his run through the 2006 Triple Crown campaign when he finished seventh as the lukewarm favorite (5.50-to-1) behind Barbaro in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and second to Bernardini in the Preakness Stakes (G1) for trainer Michael Trombetta.
The son of Sweetsouthernsaint hasn’t run since finishing ninth in the San Antonio Handicap (G2) on Cushion Track at Santa Anita on Feb. 9, but is entered to return to competition in a ‘money’ allowance at Calder Race Course with Leo Azpurua, Jr. as trainer and Manoel Cruz named to ride in the one-mile event.
Sweetnorthernsaint was sent to Azpurua this spring and the winner of $860,000 has posted a steady string of workouts for his return, most a recently a ‘bullet’ five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 on July 27. The dark bay was bred in Florida by the trainer’s uncle Eduardo Azpurua and sold privately to Balsamo and Theos. He posted the most important of six career victories in the Illinois Derby (G2) at Hawthorne, scoring by 9 ¼ lengths before his Triple Crown campaign.
Sweetnorthernsaint is not the only returning stakes-winner in the field of six entered in Saturday’s intriguing allowance test as Elite Equine Inc.’s 5-year-old gelding Dry Martini is set to make his first start since finishing fifth behind Lawyer Ron in the Whitney Handicap (G1) at Saratoga almost exactly a year ago when trained briefly by Barclay Tagg.
Dry Martini is a Florida-bred son of Slew Gin Fizz and got good early last year for trainer Harry Benson, finishing a strong fourth in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park and winning the Memorial Day Handicap (G3) here. Dry Martini won the Cornhusker Handicap (G2) at Prairie Meadows in his next start for Tagg prior to the Whitney. He returns with Ron Spatz as trainer and Javier Santiago to ride.
Rose Family Stable’s 4-year-old Hal’s My Hope won the 2007 edition of the Unbridled Stakes by 12 lengths at Calder, prompting his trainer Barry Rose to send the colt to test the Graded stakes waters at Belmont Park with a start in the Peter Pan (G2), where he finished fourth. After a fifth place effort in the Barbaro Stakes (G3) at Delaware Park, Hal’s My Hope returned to Calder. He will be ridden by Percival Williams.
J. Robert Harris, Jr.’s Rehoboth won the $200,000 Carl Rose Classic at Calder in 2006, as well as the Carterista Handicap earlier in the season. Manuel Aguilar has the mount on Sunday.
Rolbea Thoroughbreds’ Finallymadeit won several overnight stakes last year, plus the $150,000 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap at Calder. Paco Lopez is named to ride the 4-year-old colt for the first time.
Completing the field is Dennis Dwyer’s Alarming Fleet, Marleni Noguera.