Rehoboth headlines Florida Million Day

Rehoboth charges up the rail to nip Dazzling Dr. Cevin (middle) with Summer Book a valiant third on the outside (Calder Race Course/Jim Lisa Photos) J. Robert Harris Jr.’s REHOBOTH (Wagon Limit) closed along an opening on the rail and nosed out a game Dazzling Dr. Cevin (Cutlass Fax) for the win in the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic H., one of eight stakes on Saturday’s $1.2 million Florida Million program at Calder. Content to settle in midpack under Eibar Coa, who won three Florida Million races, the three-year-old advanced between horses entering the stretch before moving to the inside for his winning move, stopping the teletimer in 1:52 2/5 for nine furlongs. Trained by Frank Gomez, the dark bay was sent off as the 8-5 choice and returned $5.40, $3.20 and $2.80. Dazzling Dr. Cevin made a sweeping move entering the stretch and appeared to be home late, but had to settle for the place spot at 31-1. The runner-up was worth $15.40 and $6.80 while completing the $85.40 exacta. Summer Book (Notebook) re-rallied late but could not corral the top pair, garnering the third spot at 4-1. Show paid $3.60, while the trifecta returned $514.40. Co-second choice Big Lover (Ecton Park) was another three-quarters of a length back in fourth and finished off the $1,799.20 superfecta (1-5-8-9). Sir Jackie (Sweetsouthernsaint) was next and followed by Supervisor (Skip Trial), Hal’s Image (Halo’s Image), Texas Red (Explosive Red) and Too Many Toyz (Northern Afleet). Rehoboth gained a third stakes win, moving his career mark to 20-7-2-5, $350,900. The sophomore colt was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Leverett S. Miller and fetched a bid of $95,000 at the 2005 OBS February Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Produced from the winning Darn That Alarm mare So Ritzy, the winner was preceded in stakes glory by his full brother Silver Wagon, winner of the 2003 Hopeful S. (G1) and 2006 Sport Page H. (G3). Rehoboth also has a pair of unraced half-siblings, a two-year-old filly named So Glitzy (Gilded Time) and an unnamed weanling colt by Smarty Jones.

Earlier on the card, Live Oak Plantation’s homebred REVVED UP (Sultry Song)
found room in midstretch and outclassed his competition late in annexing the
$150,000
Bonnie Heath Turf Cup H. for conditioner Christophe Clement. The
ageless eight-year-old completed the nine-furlong grass race in 1:47 4/5 in
bumping his earnings to $1,294,803. Exiting a tally in the Sycamore Breeders’
Cup S. (G3) at Keeneland, the multiple graded stakes-winning gray upped his
career mark to 34-17-7-1.

“He is a tough old horse and was able to do it,” assistant trainer Nicholas
Bachalard said. “I think he’ll come back in the McKnight ($200,000 W.L. McKnight
H. [G2] on December 16) if all goes well. We’ve had him since he was a
two-year-old and he’s been a real pleasure.”

Out of the winning Win Approval (With Approval), Revved Up is a half-brother
to last Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) hero Miesque’s Approval (Miesque’s
Son).

Dr. Stephen M. White’s homebred D’ARTAGNANS’SPIRIT (Secret Hello) had just
two horses beaten at the half-mile mark, but that didn’t stop the gelding from
taking the $150,000
Jack Dudley Sprint H. Trained by Kirk Ziadie, the
four-year-old unleashed a furious kick in the lane to top Eternal Look (Ponche)
by a head under Edgar Prado, completing the six furlongs in 1:11. The bay earned his
first stakes win in this one, and sports a career line that reads 19-7-3-1,
$197,641.

In the $200,000
Elmer Heubeck Distaff H., Alice Muller’s classy Grade 1-winning lass TAKE D’ TOUR (Tour
d’Or) took over turning for home and pulled
clear to a convincing 3 3/4-length tally for trainer David Fawkes. Piloted by
Coa, the five-year-old mare completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 3/5 in
upping her career mark to 20-8-6-0. Winner of this year’s Ogden Phipps H. (G1),
the three-time stakes heroine also finished second in the Ruffian H. (G1) this
season. She’s now
banked $592,740.

“She was a good girl today, the way she relaxed,” Fawkes said. “The Sunshine
Millions ($500,000 Distaff at Santa Anita on January 27) might be next. They’ve
talked about breeding her next year, but no decisions have been made.”

Herman Heinlein’s SOLDIER’S DANCER (Lost Soldier) rallied three-wide entering
the stretch and cruised home an emphatic 6 3/4-length winner in the $100,000
Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf S. The two-year-old gelding, making his turf debut, finished off 1 1/16 miles over the firm going in 1:42 1/5 en route to his
initial stakes tally. The gray now sports a mark of 7-3-1-2 with a bankroll of
$103,420.

Pamela Halter’s DREAM OF ANGELS (Trippi) ran his win streak to three with a
game score in the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile S. for conditioner Steve Standridge. Taking the lead soon after the start, the winner was headed at the
half-mile pole but fought back bravely, stopping the teletimer in 1:23 3/5 for
the seven panels beneath Richard Eramia. The talented chestnut previously
annexed the Middleground Breeders’ Cup S., and now shows $152,640 in earnings
from a 5-3-1-1 record.

In the $100,000
John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf S., Richlyn Farms’ PAY
WRIGHT (French Envoy) was never headed on the way to her second consecutive
black type tally. Trained by George Weaver and ridden by Coa, the bay miss
lived up to her even-money status while 1 1/2 lengths clear at the wire,
finishing off 1 1/16 grassy miles in 1:42 2/5. The consistent filly upped her
career line to 6-3-1-2, $140,500.

The Shawn Musgrave-trained SECRETSOFTHEHEART (Put It Back) rewarded her
backers at odds of 8-5 with a strong tally in the $150,000
Joe O’Farrell
Juvenile Fillies S. Breaking alertly under Prado, the gray filly spurted
clear around the far turn and was never threatened late, getting seven furlongs
in 1:25 2/5. The Carl Bowling homebred remained unbeaten from two starts and
pushed her bankroll to $105,550.