In danger of not playing host to the first graded stakes of 2011 after the
Tropical Park Derby was recently downgraded by the American Graded Stakes
Committee, Calder will avoid being in that uncomfortable position when it hosts
the $100,000
Stage
Door Betty H. (G3) for fillies and mares on Saturday, New Year’s Day.
The Stage Door Betty, originally scheduled for December 18, was also
downgraded by the Committee for 2011 but was allowed to keep its Grade 3 status
for this renewal due to its previous 2010 date. The
Tropical
Park Derby, worth $100,000, will go on as a listed event for three-year-olds
(foals of 2008) at nine furlongs on the turf. The third stakes on the program is
the $65,000
Tropical Park Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile grass test for the newly-turned
three-year-old fillies.
While Grade 1 winner FUNNY MOON (Malibu Moon) is the marquee name in the
Stage Door Betty, the wagering in the 1 1/16-mile main-track dash might center
on a pair of Florida-bred veterans. TOOCLEVERFORWORDS (Arch) and AMAZING
(Greatness) finished one-two in a swiftly-run Cinnamon Girl S. over the Calder
strip on October 16, with Amazing having one interim race when a neck second
to JOANIE’S CATCH (First Tour) in the November 13 Elmer Heubeck Distaff on
Florida Million Day. Marty Wolfson trains both Toocleverforwords and Amazing,
who missed by a nose in the last edition of this race contested on December 26,
2009.
Funny Moon, who took the 2009 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), kicked off
2010 with a second in the Doubledogdare S. (G3) and a win in the Shuvee H. (G2).
However, the Christophe Clement pupil is winless in five starts since May, most
recently running fourth in the Top Flight H. (G2).
Joanie’s Catch exits a fourth in the Gazelle S. (G1), a race that also
featured QUIET TEMPER (Quiet American), who finished unplaced for the fourth
straight time since her score in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) last March. Another
graded stakes veteran exiting a lackluster performance is the 2010 La Canada S.
(G2) heroine STRIKING DANCER (Smart Strike), a dull third in the Falls City H.
(G2) on Thanksgiving Day.
A capacity field was assembled for the Tropical Park Derby, with favoritism
possibly going to RACING APTITUDE (Aptitude). The Howie Tesher charge followed
up an October turf maiden score with a 2 1/2-length decision in the Arthur I.
Appleton Juvenile Turf S. on the Florida Million program.
SWIFT WARRIOR (First Samurai), an impressive 6 3/4-length allowance winner
over the local sod, will be joined by a slew of New York turf winners
that includes KING CONGIE (Badge of Silver), TAG V EYE (Hennessy), EAST OF
DANZIG (Langfuhr) and BEACHCOMBING (Lemon Drop Kid). Also invading from up north
is the Monmouth graduate I LOVE IT (Fusaichi Pegasus), fourth in the Gnome’s
Gold S. at Belmont last time.
Trying grass for the first time Saturday is RIBO BOBO (Louis Quatorze), the
Foolish Pleasure S. winner who later ran second in the Iroquois S. (G3) and Jack
Price Juvenile, and last-out Churchill maiden winner PRIVATE PRIZE (Pure Prize).
LAUREN BYRD (Arch), the Jessamine S. runner-up who easily dispensed with
allowance foes at Churchill on November 10, is the likely public choice in the
Tropical Park Oaks. Stakes winner A BRILLIANT IDEA (Afleet Alex) and last-out
maiden winners DYNAMIC HOLIDAY (Harlan’s Holiday) and TRIUNE (E Dubai) might
prove to be her most formidable opponents.