Veteran jockey Manoel Cruz rode three winners on Sunday at Calder Casino & Race Course to close to within one victory of 18-year-old rival Luis Saez, who leads Cruz 107-106 in the standings going into Monday's Labor Day holiday program.
Saez was aboard one winner, but a good one as he guided Stud El Aguila's highly-promising 3-year-old Florida homebred colt Don Tito to score by 4 ½ lengths in the ninth race allowance feature after they came away last in the field of six going five furlongs as the 1-to-5 favorite.
A chestnut son of Trippi, Don Tito was making his third career start for trainer Marty Wolfson after finishing fourth in his debut when he broke slowly going five furlongs on turf on July 9, and then broke his maiden on Aug. 13 when he drew off to score by 6 ¼ lengths in swift time of 1:10 2/5 for six furlongs with Saez aboard. Sunday, Don Tito was timed in 58 4/5 for the five-eighths.
Steve Dwoskin continues atop the trainers' leader board for the Calder Meet with 26 wins as he seeks his first title here and leads defending champion Bill White by five at 21. David Fawkes, Fred Warren and Antonio Sano are two more back in a three-way tie for third at 19 apiece. White has won the Calder Meet trophy a record 11 times overall.
Little Drama Breezes Monday Morning
Harold Queen's 2-year-old homebred colt Little Drama worked an easy half-mile in 51 4/5 Monday morning at Calder Casino & Race Course for trainer David Fawkes as he prepares for his next start after a disappointing sixth-place finish as the 1-to-2 favorite in the $75,000 Dr. Fager Division of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Aug. 7.
The chestnut colt by Burning Roma was very impressive winning the $100,000 Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes by 9 ½ lengths on Summit of Speed day, July 10, after a runner-up career debut. In the Dr. Fager, Little Drama got caught in a speed duel between horses on a ‘sloppy' track before retreating in the stretch as Our Sugar Bear Stable's Gourmet Dinner went on to score by a half-length.
Little Drama came back to breeze a sharp half-mile in 48 4/5 on Aug. 22, but Fawkes decided to hold him out of the $100,000 Affirmed Division of the FSS on Juvenile Showcase day, Aug. 28, as Gourmet Dinner went on to another victory. The two colts appear likely to meet again in the $375,000 In Reality Division finale of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Festival of the Sun day, Sat., Oct. 16.
Star of the Town Looks for Better Start in Friday Turf Dash
It doesn't take much trouble to seriously compromise a horse's chances in a five-furlong turf sprint, which is what happened to Galloping Acres Farm's highly-consistent 3-year-old filly Star of the Town when she finished second by a head as the favorite last out at Calder Casino & Race Course on Aug. 21 after breaking last of seven in tight quarters.
Star of the Town will be among the favorites in Friday's ‘a other than' optional allowance feature at five furlongs on turf with jockey Manoel Cruz getting a return call for trainer Bill White as they break from the rail in a field of 10 fillies and mares.
Star of the Town is a daughter of champion sprinter Speightstown purchased for $35,000 at the OBS April 2-year-old sales and has brought back a check in all seven career starts that includes a win, four seconds, a third and a fourth-place effort trying a two-turn mile on the main track.
Another contender in Friday's race is White Cross Stable's 5-year-old mare Fly Express, who went wire-to-wire to beat Star of the Town a head in the Aug. 21 race. Trained by Luke Poulos, Fly Express is a roan/gray daughter of Concorde's Tune with four wins and eight seconds from 20 career starts and is entered for a $16,000 claiming tag. Jockey Eduardo Nunez retains the mount.
An intriguing prospect in Friday's field is Donald Dizney's homebred 3-year-old filly Haggai with Jeffrey Sanchez aboard for trainer Wesley Ward. The daughter of Officer began her seven-race career in California with trainer Bob Baffert, ran twice in June and July for trainer Dale Romans at Churchill Downs, and re-surfaced with Ward here on Aug. 19 when she scored by three for a $25,000 claiming tag and no takers.
Completing the field for Friday's feature are Ortem Stable Group's Seed of Faith, Abdiel Jaen; Dale Howard's Lady Carlotta, Luis Saez; Dr. Derek Paul and Dr. J.C. Benjamin's Shift It, Luis Garcia; Leslie Bennett's Bond Baroness, Angel Moreno; Steve Dwoskin's Minstrel Lisa, Juan Delgado; Joel Sainer's Wicked Woman of Ny, Olmedo Pitti; and Farfellow Farm's Believeinthemoment, Carlos Olivero.