2013 Calder Juvenile Showcase

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (August 20, 2013) - With a rich history that includes memorable performances from eventual Grade 1 winners and Eclipse Award champions such as Awesome Feather, Big Drama, Jackson Bend, and most recently Itsmyluckyday, the annual Juvenile Showcase is a day of racing devoted to 2-year-olds that is sure to feature “the stars of tomorrow” on Saturday, August 24.

Headlining the Juvenile Showcase are the second legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes Series – the $125,000 Affirmed division and the $125,000 Susan’s Girl division for fillies. Both races are scheduled for 7 furlongs on the main track.

Horses that are ready for a bit more distance are entered in the 1-mile $75,000 Seacliff Stakes and the 1-mile $75,000 Lindsay Frolic Stakes for fillies. Rounding out the stakes are the $75,000 Calder Turf Dash Stakes and the $75,000 Catcharisingstar Stakes for fillies. Both races are slated for 5 furlongs on the turf course.

FLORIDA STALLION STAKES SERIES – AFFIRMED DIVISION

In the Affirmed division of the Florida Stallion Stakes Series, Gilbert G. Campbell’s My Brown Eyed Guy hopes to add to his winning streak. He cleared away to take the first leg of the Series, the Dr. Fager division, by 3 ¼-lengths in the 6-furlong race on July 20. This was his second consecutive victory after taking his first career win by 1 ¾-lengths in a 6-furlong maiden special weight race at Calder. The gelding just missed victory in his career debut when he finished second by a nose in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race.

Jacks or Better Farm, Inc.’s Best Plan Yet finished second to My Brown Eyed Guy in the Dr. Fager. He went on to break his maiden on August 3 at Calder by two lengths in a 7-furlong maiden special weight race after chasing the pace, gaining the lead down the stretch, and pulling away.  The same ownership finished 1-2 in the maiden special weight race as Jacks or Better Farm, Inc.’s D N A Approved ran second from start to finish on the running line. The colts first faced each other one race prior in the 5 ½-furlong Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes, where they made their career debuts at Calder. Best Plan Yet finished fourth in the debut, while D N A Approved took sixth.

The third and fourth place finishers in the Dr. Fager, Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti’s Copa Del Rey and Rontos Racing Stable Corp.’s Arangol are also entered in the Affirmed.

Roger L. Block’s Purchango returns to stakes action three races after running eighth in the Frank Gomez Memorial, while Gambinera Stable’s Twin Distinction makes his stakes debut in the Affirmed.

The Affirmed is the ninth race, with an approximate post time of 4:54pm ET.

FLORIDA STALLION STAKES SERIES – SUSAN’S GIRL DIVISION

Gilbert G. Campbell’s Scandalous Act looks to be the post-time favorite for the Susan’s Girl division of the Florida Stallion Stakes Series. The filly dominated her way to victory in the first leg of the Series, the Desert Vixen division, crossing the wire 7 ½-lengths ahead in the 6-furlong race on July 20. She proved to her field in her career debut that they were no match as she cruised to victory 6 ½-lengths ahead in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Calder. She added blinkers for the first time for the Susan’s Girl and was the third-choice in that race after running seventh in the 5 ½-furlong J J’s Dream Stakes in her stakes debut.

The second, third, fourth, and seventh-place finishers in the Desert Vixen are all returning for the Susan’s Girl. Pinnacle Racing Stables, H. Jack Hendricks, and Roger L. Justice’s Holiday Magic ran second to Scandalous Act ahead of Paul Stein’s Quinnkat, who finished third, Rontos Racing Stable Corp.’s Fantastic Voyage, who came in fourth, and Jacks or Better Farm, Inc.’s Proverbs Thirtyone, who ran seventh.

Gelfenstein Farm’s Boheme de Lavi easily took her maiden victory at Calder in a 6 ½-furlong maiden special weight race by 4 ¼-lengths on August 10. She makes her stakes debut in the Susan’s Girl. Chester A. Bishop and Fawkes Racing, Inc.’s Utootweet will also make her stakes debut in the Susan’s Girl after crossing the wire 3 ¾-lengths ahead in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race at Gulfstream Park on August 11.

The Susan’s Girl is set as the eighth race, with an approximate post time of 4:27pm ET.

SEACLIFF STAKES

Both Jacks or Better Farm, Inc.’s Best Plan Yet and D N A Approved are cross-entered in the Seacliff Stakes as well as the Affirmed.

Gelfenstein Farm’s Brothersofthetime ran second in the Frank Gomez Memorial after dominating by 5 ¼-lengths in his career debut at Calder in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race on May 17. He most recently won a 6-furlong allowance at Gulfstream on July 20 by 1 ¼-lengths. Rontos Racing Stable Corp.’s Specialnightaction finished fourth in that allowance, which was his second career start. He took his maiden debut by just a nose in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race on June 15 at Calder over My Brown Eyed Guy.

H. Jack Hendricks and Roger L. Justice’s East Hall, Juan D. Arias’ Burning, Shane Grice’s Wild Z Z Z Z, and Ione and Herbert J. Elkins’ We’re All Set are making their stakes debuts in the Seacliff, while Sherry & Lisa Racing, LLC’s Shiva Curlin is making his career debut.

The Seacliff begins the stakes action on the card as the fifth race, with an approximate post time of 2:58pm ET

LINDSAY FROLIC STAKES

Fillies making their stakes debuts are abundant in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes.

Westbury Stable LLC’s Look of a Star is the only filly in the field that has an allowance race experience. On August 9 at Calder in a 5 ½-furlong allowance race, she finished a close third as the post-time favorite. Look of a Star broke her maiden in June in her second career appearance by ¾-lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight race, after coming in second in her career debut at the same distance.

Marshall Racing LLC’s Redheaded Witch, Vegso Racing Stable’s Light Bringer, Lucky Seven Stable’s First Daughter, A. W. D. V. Racing Stable’s Bella Traviata, Frank Mancari’s Jackie’s Daughter, Tanourin Stable’s Flat Out Charming, Pinnacle Racing Stable’s Herecomeshoneybobo, and New Life Stable, Inc.’s Tracy’s Treasure are all making their stakes debuts from maiden races.

The Lindsay Frolic is set as the sixth race, with an approximate post time of 3:29 p.m.

CALDER TURF DASH STAKES

A full field of 12 was entered for the Calder Turf Dash Stakes.

Rontos Racing Stable Corp.’s Breitling Flyer finished second in back-to-back allowance races at Gulfstream in his most recent starts. He first lost to Brothersofthetime before coming behind Trinmove Enterprises Inc.’s Macho Trini, who took the victory on August 10 by three lengths in a 5 ½-furlong allowance race. Breitling Flyer was fifth in his stakes debut at Calder in the Frank Gomez Memorial after breaking his maiden by 1 ¾-lengths in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race at Calder. Macho Trini broke his maiden at Calder on June 22 in a 4 ½-furlong maiden claiming race, and will be making his stakes debut in the Calder Turf Dash. Monarch Stables, Inc.’s Vinny’s Wildcat finished fifth to Macho Trini in that allowance. He broke his maiden at Calder on May 31 by 3 ¾-lengths in a 4 ½-furlong maiden claiming race before finishing ninth in the Frank Gomez Memorial.

White Hall Lane Farm’s Good God was third in his stakes debut when he ran in the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs on July 6 over 5 ½-furlongs on Colonial’s outer turf course. He has yet to break his maiden with three starts under his belt so far. He was fourth in his career debut in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race on Colonial’s inner turf course, and most recently finished sixth at Gulfstream in a 4 ½-furlong maiden special weight race on the dirt.

Gilbert G. Campbell’s Union Cash finished seventh in the Frank Gomez Memorial in his career debut. He then came back to be victorious by a head, after a stretch run battle, in a 5-furlong maiden special weight race at Calder on July 12.

Gelfenstein Farm’s Bon Accord and Monarch Stables, Inc.’s The Boot Wildcat are the two other runners who have allowance race experience who make their stakes debuts in the Calder Turf Dash. Luis Duco Stables Inc.’s Bluegrass Derby, Copper Water Thoroughbred Company’s El Mono Verde, Equels Marro Racing LLC’s Pallium Prize, Jason DaCosta’a Million Dollar Man, and Bluestone Thoroughbreds LLC’s Green Diamond Cat all make the jump to stakes action for the Calder Turf Dash from maiden races.

The Calder Turf Dash closes out the stakes action on the card as the tenth race, with an approximate post time of 5:21 p.m.

CATCHARISINGSTAR STAKES

Every filly entered for the Catcharisingstar will make her stakes debut in the race.

Rontos Racing Stable Corp.’s City in Sky, Bendayan Stable’s Ya Esta, and Joe Pesci and Wesley A. Ward’s Tomei are the only fillies in the race with an allowance experience, which came jointly. City in Sky led throughout in a 5 ½-furlong allowance at Calder on August 9 to score 3 ¼-lengths ahead of Ya Esta, who finished second. City in Sky is now 2-for-2 in her career. Ya Esta stepped up to the allowance from a 4 ½-furlong maiden claiming race at Calder on June 23 in her career debut. Tomei finished fifth to City in Sky after breaking her maiden back in May at Churchill Downs in a 4 ½-furlong maiden claiming race.

Gilbert G. Campbell’s Secret Kitten, Champion Equine LLC’s I Will Be Free, N. T. S. Stable, Inc.’s Solitary, Gilbert G. Campbell’s Lovely Lexi, and Tri-Star Racing LLC, Tom Rinaudo, Tim Ice, and The Farm on Four’s Elusive Cowgirl are also entered. Chester A. Bishop and Fawkes Racing, Inc.’s Utootweet is cross-entered in the Catcharisingstar and the Susan’s Girl. W. Bailey Bolen’s Princess Nessi makes her career debut in the stakes.

The Catcharisingstar is the seventh race, with an approximate post time of 4:00pm ET.

Post time for the first race at Calder is 12:50pm ET.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Last year’s Juvenile Showcase card was held completely on the main track, as the turf stakes were taken off the turf. Headlining last year’s Juvenile Showcase winners was Itsmyluckyday. The colt, trained by Eddie Plesa, Jr. was victorious by 4 lengths in the off-the-turf Fasig Tipton Turf Dash Stakes and went on to become a graded stakes winner. He then came second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park before running in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He also finished second in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course during the Triple Crown series. Rose to Gold was victorious in the Lindsay Frolic Stakes and later became a multiple Grade 3-winner and ran in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Sr. Quisqueyano took the Seacliff Stakes and went on to win the Calder Derby in April.

The second legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes Series, the $125,000 Susan’s Girl Division and the $125,000 Affirmed Division, are the other final stakes that are featured on the Juvenile Showcase card. Horses for these two races established their eligibility earlier in the year. The Susan’s Girl is restricted to 2-year-old fillies and will be run at 7 furlongs; the Affirmed will also be held at 7 furlongs.