The $100,000 Tropical Turf H. (G3) and its filly and mare counterpart, the
$100,000 My Charmer H. (G3), both at nine furlongs on the turf, highlight
Saturday’s Grand Slam I program at Calder. The card also includes the $100,000
What a Pleasure S. for two-year-olds, and its filly companion test, the $100,000
Three Ring S. Both races will be decided at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
HOTSTUFANTHENSOME (Awesome Again) has been assigned top weight of 118 pounds
for the Tropical Turf. The Norman Pointer trainee most recently rolled to a 14
1/2-length victory in the Cliff Hanger S. (G3) on October 22 at the Meadowlands.
The five-year-old also won the Elkwood S. and finished second in the Oceanport S.
(G3) at Monmouth Park earlier this year. Grade 2 winner SILVER TREE (Hennessy),
who finished second in last year’s edition of the Tropical Turf, will carry 116
pounds, including Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey. The Bill Mott-trained
five-year-old exits a runner-up effort in the November 12 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup
H. on the Calder turf course.
The Tropical Turf, the final leg of an all-stakes Pick 4, attracted a full
field of 12, plus one also-eligible.
Diana S. (G1) heroine SAND SPRINGS (Dynaformer), who set the pace before
fading to 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1), should be the one to catch under
top weight of 121 pounds in the My Charmer, which attracted 12 entrants. The
Mott-trained mare has earned more than $1.2 million and will be ridden by Bailey
on Saturday. Other contenders include multiple Grade 1 victress TICKER TAPE (GB) (Royal
Applause [GB]), Grade 2 winner SPOTLIGHT (GB) (Dr Fong), and last year’s
runner-up, SNOWDROPS (GB) (Gulch).
The highly regarded FLANDERS FIELDS (A.P. Indy) and Futurity S. (G2)
runner-up CHANGING WEATHER (Storm Boot) will square off in the What a Pleasure.
Flanders Fields is out of champion Flanders (Seeking the Gold).
Other contenders include ELECTRIFY (Delaware Township) and BIG LOVER (Ecton
Park), who finished first and second, respectively, in the seven-furlong Jack
Price Juvenile S.
MIA’S REFLECTION (Halo’s Image), a back-to-back stakes winner at Calder, will
face five foes in the Three Ring, including Junior Champion S. winner CAPOZZENE
(Capote) and Grade 2-placed Southern California invader GOLDEN SILK (Songandaprayer).
Multiple stakes-placed STOLEN PRAYER (Songandaprayer) is another contender for
the Three Ring.