Hour Glass & D’Funnybone Lead Probable Cast for Calder’s Summit
July 6th, 2010Mill House’s 4-year-old filly Hour Glass, winner of the Vagrancy Handicap (G2) last out at Belmont Park for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Paul Pompa, Jr.’s 3-year-old D’Funnybone, a five-time Graded stakes-winner for trainer Rick Dutrow, are prominent among the nominees for the rich races to be run on the $1.35 million Summit of Speed program at Calder Casino & Race Course on Sat., July 10.
Pletcher sent out Game Face to capture the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) on Summit day last year and has confirmed Hour Glass as a starter in this year’s renewal, and also is expected to have a contender for the $350,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (G2).
Dutrow sent out IEAH Stables and partners’ Benny the Bull to capture the Smile Sprint in 2008 on the way to Eclipse champion sprint honors that season and ‘Benny’ was back to finish second in last summer’s edition. Dutrow brings another potential Eclipse contender in 3-year-old D’Funnybone to run in the $200,000 Carry Back Stakes (G2).
The $150,000 Azalea Stakes (G3) is the companion event for fillies to the Carry Back and completes the line-up of four Graded stakes races to be run on the Summit card, all at six furlongs. The Smile Sprint is a ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) and the Princess Rooney winner is a ‘Win and You’re In’ to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5-6.
Also to be run on the outstanding card will be renewals of the $100,000 Frank Gomez Memorial and $100,000 Jj’s Dream Stakes, companion events at 5 ½ furlongs, the latter for fillies, and the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at five furlongs on grass.
Strong Team of Invaders Likely for Princess Rooney
The last 10 winners of the Princess Rooney have been shippers and a formidable team appears set to invade for this renewal led by Hour Glass, a daughter Petionville that appears to be an emerging star with five wins and three seconds in just nine career starts for Pletcher, most recently a half-length score in the Vagrancy on May 29.
Other accomplished nominees that may ship in are Joseph Sutton’s 4-year-old filly Warbling and Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan’s 5-year-old mare Dubai Majesty, based at Churchill Downs with trainers Eddie Kenneally and Bret Calhoun, respectively.
Kenneally has previously brought sprint stars Kelly’s Landing to finish fourth in the Smile Sprint in 2006 and Keep the Peace to finish second in the Princess Rooney last year. Warbling is a roan/gray daughter of Unbridled’s Song and was in South Florida over the winter, capturing the Inside Information Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Mar 14.
In her lone start since the Inside Information, Warbling finished fifth in the seven-furlong Humana Distaff (G1) run over a ‘sloppy’ track at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, May 1 after setting the pace to the upper stretch. Prior to the Inside Information, Warbling finished second by a head in the Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) and third in the Hurricane Bertie (G3) at Gulfstream.
Dubai’s Majesty began her career at Calder with trainer Joe Calascibetta and finished second to the top filly Indyanne in the 2008 renewal of the Azalea before being sold privately to her current connections. The daughter of Essence of Dubai has won the last two editions of the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill, scoring by 4 ½ lengths on May 31.
Leading the Calder home team prospects in the Princess Rooney will be Andrew Rosen’s 4-year-old filly First Passage, winner of the Azalea on Summit day last year for trainer Marty Wolfson. The daughter of Giant’s Causeway won the U Can Do It Handicap here last out on June 12.
Big Drama the ‘Big’ Horse in Smile Sprint
Several shippers are expected to contest the Smile Sprint, but the likely favorite and horse to beat may be Harold Queen’s 4-year-old Florida homebred colt Big Drama, a winner of $1.2 million with a national reputation, but based at Calder with trainer David Fawkes.
A son of Montbrook, Big Drama swept the three ‘open’ divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes series as a 2-year-old here in 2008, and was a major player in the 3-year-old division for a time last season when fifth behind Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico after a bad start.
Big Drama was sent to the sidelines after finishing sixth as one of the favorites in the King’s Bishop Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in late August last summer in a sub-par effort, but appears to be back on top of his game for this engagement after an impressive 3 ¾ lengths victory in the Ponche Handicap over the track and distance on June 12.
Possible invaders include M375 Thoroughbreds and Suarez Racing’s 5-year-old Golden Spikes for trainer Rick Dutrow and Repole Stable’s 5-year-old gelding Go Go Shoot, one of four nominees trained by Todd Pletcher.
Golden Spikes won the Carry Back Stakes here on Summit day in 2008 when trained by Marty Wolfson. The son of Seeking the Gold would be making his first start since mid-October and first for Dutrow. Go Go Shoot is a roan/gray son of Songandaprayer and finished a sharp third last out in the Decathlon Stakes at Monmouth Park on May 22.
Carry Back a Homecoming for D’Funnybone
D’Funnybone has clearly established himself as the current leader of the 3-year-old sprint division winning Graded stakes at Belmont Park, Saratoga and Gulfstream Park after his career was launched at Calder with two races for trainer and co-owner Joe Calascibetta last summer before a private sale to his current connections.
A chestnut son of D’wildcat, D’Funnybone won his debut by 7 ¼ lengths in early May last spring and finished second by a half-length behind Jackson Bend in the Frank Gomez Memorial on Summit day before the sale. He comes into the Carry Back after a sharp victory in the W.C. Stephens Stakes (G2) on Belmont Day, June 5.
Gary Barber’s Coffee Boy appears to be the best hope for the Calder team, albeit a longshot if D’Funnybone goes to the post. Coffee Boy is a son of Yonaguska that rallied to a half-length victory in the Unbridled Stakes in the local tune-up for the Carry Back on June 12 for trainer Marty Wolfson.
Baffert Nominates Four to Azalea
Trainer Bob Baffert has had his share of success over the years shipping contenders for the Summit of Speed, claiming victories with Woke Up Dreamin in the 2005 Smile Sprint and Too Much Bling in the 2006 Carry Back, and has four 3-year-old fillies eligible for the Azalea as well as nominees for the Smile and Princess Rooney.
Peachtree Stable’s Bonnie Blue Flag is a daughter of Mineshaft on a three-race win streak after scores at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and the Cinemine Stakes last out at Lone Star Park on May 31. Thoroughbred Legends Stable’s Rapport is a daughter of Songandaprayer that has won her last two at Hollywood by big margins.
The Calder team has a major contender for the Azalea in Terra Di Sienna Stable’s Florida homebred Pica Slew after two very impressive victories over the track for trainer Joe Calascibetta. The daughter of Pico Central made one start last year in Canada, finishing sixth in the My Dear Stakes at Woodbine. In two starts here this year she broke her maiden by 10 ¼ lengths in May and won the Leave Me Alone Stakes on June 12.
