Monday, August 30 2010

Calder barn notes 8/29/10

Big Drama Breezes at Calder Sunday Morning

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 29, 2010) - Harold Queen’s 4-year-old Florida homebred colt Big Drama breezed five furlongs in 1:02 1/5 Sunday morning at Calder Casino & Race Course for trainer David Fawkes as the winner of more than $1.5 million is kept on edge for his next start while being targeted for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to be run on Sat., Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs.

The workout was the first for Big Drama since he finished a game second in the $250,000 A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2) at Saratoga on Aug. 8 as his connections consider options for his Breeders’ Cup prep, including the $350,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G1) going six furlongs at Belmont Park on Oct. 2.

Sunday, August 29 2010

Awesome Feather Continues to Impress: Wins Susan’s Girl to Remain Undefeated

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2010) – Jacks or Better Farm’s homebred 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather won her fourth consecutive race to stay undefeated when taking the $100,000 Susan’s Girl Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Casino & Race Course on Saturday, Juvenile Showcase day.

Awesome Feather defeated Cristal Jak by four lengths and completed the seven furlongs in 1:24.57 over a fast track. It was 8 ¾ lengths back to Silverest in third. The heavy favorite, Awesome Feather returned $2.20 and $2.10. There was no show wagering.

Blue Eyed Sweetie Sets Stakes Record in Lindsay Frolic

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2010) – Gilbert Campbell’s homebred 2-year-old filly Blue Eyed Sweetie made her ‘two-turn’ debut a winning one when defeating Delightful Dawn by 6 ¼ lengths in the one-mile $100,000 Lindsay Frolic Stakes at Calder Casino & Race Course on Saturday, Juvenile Showcase day. It was another three lengths back to Beso Grande in third place.

Trained by Kathleen O’Connell and ridden by Manoel Cruz, Blue Eyed Sweetie set the stakes record for the Lindsay Frolic after running the mile in 1:40.96. The Florida-bred returned $4.60, $3.40, and $2.60 at the mutuel windows.

Gourmet Dinner Wins Affirmed to Stay Undefeated

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2010) – Our Sugar Bear Stable’s 2-year-old colt Gourmet Dinner remains undefeated after winning the $100,000 Affirmed Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes at Calder Casino & Race Course on Saturday during the track’s annual Juvenile Showcase program.

Ridden by Sebastian Madrid in all three of his races to date, Gourmet Dinner collared the pacesetting Rough’n Royal in the final sixteenth of a mile in the seven-furlong race to win by 2 ½ lengths and get the distance in 1:25.69. Rough’n Royal finished 3 ½ lengths ahead of Vee’s Accolade in third.

Machisa Romps in Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2010) – Richard Rowan’s Texas homebred 2-year-old colt Machisa won the $70,000 Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash, the first of six stakes races for 2 year olds at Calder Casino & Race Course’s Juvenile Showcase on Saturday.

The longshot covered the five furlongs on firm turf in :56.51 under jockey Sebastian Madrid for trainer Juan Arias. Machisa returned $97.60, $29.40, and $10.40. Dual Exhauzt finished 5 ¼ lengths back in second, while Motin was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third.

Saez Hits Century Mark at Calder Meet

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2010) – Jockey Luis Saez has passed several milestones early in a promising career at this Calder Casino & Race Course meet as the 18-year-old native of Panama made a successful transition from apprentice to journeyman, and another winner on Friday’s card was his 100th of the session as he leads defending meet champion Manoel Cruz by three going into this weekend’s action.

Cruz, 40, rode a pair of winners Friday and appears likely to challenge Saez day-to-day through the rest of the Calder Meet that runs through Sun., Oct. 17 with the Tropical Meet set for Oct. 21 – Jan. 3. Cruz previously won Calder Meet championships in 2003 and 2006. Apprentice Angel Moreno currently ranks a distant third in the standings with 52 wins.

Friday, August 27 2010

Little Drama Passes Affirmed: Targeted for In Reality

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 27, 2010) – Notably absent from the entries for the $100,000 Affirmed Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes series on Saturday’s Juvenile Showcase program at Calder Casino & Race Course is Harold Queen’s Florida homebred colt Little Drama, who flashed brilliance winning the $100,000 Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes by 9 ½ lengths on July 10, but disappointed last out finishing sixth as the 1-to-2 favorite in the $100,000 Dr. Fager Division of the FSS on Aug. 7 run over a ‘sloppy’ track.

“He’s fine and worked all right (half-mile in 48 4/5 last Sunday),” said trainer David Fawkes Friday morning. “But this race is a little close back in three weeks, and with young horses in this heat, we just thought it was best to pass on this one and most likely train him right up to the big one ($350,000 In Reality Division finale at 1 1/16 miles on Sat., Oct. 16.).

Gourmet Dinner & Awesome Feather Lead Cast for ‘Showcase’

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 26, 2010) – Our Sugar Bear Stable’s 2-year-old colt Gourmet Dinner and Jacks or Better Farm’s 2-year-old filly Awesome Feather are both undefeated and will be the likely favorites to add to their growing resumes in the $100,000 Affirmed and $100,000 Susan’s Girl Divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes series Saturday at Calder Casino & Race Course.

The Affirmed and Susan’s Girl, Round Two of the FSS series at seven furlongs, highlight a 13-race program exclusively for 2-year-olds to be run on Calder’s annual Juvenile Showcase card that will also include four other $100,000 stakes races and four maiden special weight races worth $36,700 each to be run going short and long on dirt and turf.

Sunday, August 22 2010

Calder barn notes 8/22/10

Little Drama & ‘Sweetie’ Drill for Stallion Stakes

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 22, 2010) - Harold Queen’s homebred 2-year-old colt Little Drama worked a sharp half-mile in 48 4/5 Sunday morning at Calder Casino & Race Course for trainer David Fawkes as he prepares for Saturday’s $100,000 Affirmed Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes series, one of six $100,000 stakes to be run on the Juvenile Showcase program.

A half-brother to Queen’s 4-year-old Big Drama, who swept the three ‘open’ divisions of the Stallion Stakes in 2008, Little Drama disappointed last out when tiring to sixth of seven as the 1-to-2 favorite in the $100,000 Dr. Fager Division of the FSS on Aug. 7 run over a ‘sloppy’ track at six furlongs.

Saturday, August 21 2010

Calder Barn Notes: 8-21-10

Saez & Dwoskin Continue to Lead Calder Meet Standings

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (Aug. 21, 2010) – The rivalry for leading jockey honors at this Calder Meet continues day-to-day, race-to-race after four months of the session between 18-year-old emerging star Luis Saez and 40-year-old veteran Manoel Cruz and Saez goes into Saturday’s card with a tenuous lead of three at 95-92.

Cruz has won the Calder Meet championship three times previously, including last year while Saez is still in his first full year in the saddle since arriving from Panama and losing his apprentice allowance more than a month a ago. There is a big gap after the top two in the standings with apprentice Angel Moreno third in the standings with 51 victories, followed by Luis Jurado fourth at 34 and Eduardo Nunez fifth with 30.

Calder barn notes 8/20/10

Gourmet Dinner ‘90 Per Cent’ to Stay Home for Affirmed

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 20, 2010) - Our Sugar Bear Stable’s 2-year-old colt Gourmet Dinner won a hard-fought half-length decision in the $75,000 Dr. Fager Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes last out at Calder Casino & Race Course on Aug. 7 in his second career start following a winning debut on July 17 for trainer Peter Gulyas.

After the Dr. Fager, assistant trainer and stable advisor Steve Standridge indicated a trip to Saratoga for the $250,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) would be considered, but Friday morning reported that they were now leaning “90 per cent to stay here for the Affirmed. He’ll work on Monday morning and we’ll make a final decision.”

Thursday, August 19 2010

Calder barn notes 8/19/10

Wolfson Good to Go ‘Rain or Shine’ in The Vid Overnight Saturday

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 19, 2010) - Trainer Marty Wolfson will likely send out the favorite in Saturday’s $55,000 The Vid overnight stakes Saturday at Calder Casino & Race Course regardless of whether the test for 3-year-olds and up goes as scheduled at 1 1/16 miles on turf or wet conditions forced the race to the main track as so often happens at this time of year in South Florida.

The same scenario played out four weeks ago when Wolfson had Farnsworth Stables’ 7-year-old gelding Jet Propulsion and Team Valor International’s 4-year-old colt Causeway’s Kin entered in the $50,000 Band Is Passing overnight on July 24, the former for turf as scheduled and the latter if the race came off. Causeway’s Kin got to run and win going a mile on a ‘good’ main track.