Tortora’s not crying at Calder

Whos Crying Now left his rivals crying as he scored the close win (Photo Courtesy of Jim Lisa) Trainer Emanuel Tortora had a good day at Calder on Saturday, saddling the one-two finishers in the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic H. during the track’s Florida Million program. In a thrilling finish, WHOS CRYING NOW (Concerto) managed to hold off stablemate Supervisor (Skip Trial) by a head to finish the 1 1/8-mile test in 1:52 3/5. Ridden by Manoel Cruz, Whos Crying Now was settled near the back of the 10-horse field along with Supervisor, who had Aurelio Toribio Jr. aboard. Hear No Evil (Carson City) led the field through splits of :22 3/5, :46 3/5 and 1:12 1/5 over the fast track, but started to tire entering the final turn. The eventual winner came out for the drive while Supervisor opted for the rail trip. It was the latter who gained a short advantage through a mile in 1:39, but Whos Crying Now wasn’t giving up without a fight. Coming in slightly as Supervisor came out, the two exchanged bumps late before hitting the wire with only a head bob separating them. “(Whos Crying Now) got in trouble the last time, and then both got in trouble today and finished one-two anyway,” Tortora said. “I’ve got to run them in races together, because these are the only races for them. But both owners are good about that and they understand.”

Sent off the 10-1 fifth choice, Whos Crying Now gave back $22.80, $8.60 and
$5.20 while starting the $146.20 exacta and $968.80 trifecta. Supervisor was
worth $16.60 and $6.60 at 16-1, and it was another five lengths back to Dazzling
Dr. Cevin (Cutlass Fax), who paid $4 at 5-1. Palladio (Lycius) just missed the
top three by a nose and ended the 8-7-4-1 superfecta that returned $4,976.40.

Summer Book (Notebook), B. B. Best (Yes It’s True), Bob’s Proud Moment (Proud
and True), Cervelo (Skip Away), Dream On Dream On (Untuttable) and Hear No Evil
completed the order under the wire.

Owned by Lewis Family Stables Partnership Ltd. and bred by Shady Lane Farm in
Florida, Whos Crying Now earned just his second stakes victory with this one,
having scored in the Ambehaving S. two prior by a nose. He owns five black-type
placings, including a second in the Memorial Day H. (G3), and now shows a
34-8-8-1 record with $381,248 in earnings.

Florida Million Day ended with the Carl G. Rose, but began in shocking
fashion when Padua Stables’ homebred ELECTRIFY (Delaware Township) wired the
$150,000
Jack Price Juvenile S. by 2 1/2 lengths while going seven furlongs. With Eddie
Castro holding the reins, the chestnut colt stopped the clock in 1:23 for
trainer Edward Plesa Jr. and moved his record to a perfect three-for-three with
$128,800 in earnings.

Turf-running two-year-olds got their turn in the $100,000

Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile Turf S., and it was Thorobeam Farm and Henry
Mast’s MR. SILVER (Concorde’s Tune) who ended up in the winner’s circle for the
8 1/2-furlong firm event. With Castro and Plesa posting a second straight win
together, the gray colt stopped the teletimer in 1:42 2/5 to improve his mark to
6-3-0-0, $101,680.

In the $150,000
Joe
O’Farrell Juvenile Fillies S., Rockin BB Ranch LLC’s PEACH FLAMBE (Flying
Chevron) was an easy seven-length winner under Tom Turner. Trained by Mary
Wisniewski-Johnson, the chestnut miss ran seven furlongs in 1:24 2/5 and, in the
process, recorded her second win from three starts with $118,200 in earnings.

In the $100,000
John
Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf S., Mia’s Reflection (Halo’s Image) finished 1
1/16-miles on the green in 1:43 1/5, a half-length in front of GOOD INTENTIONS (Anet)
and SURVICAT (Adcat), who dead-heated for second. She didn’t remain on top for
long, though, as a stewards’ inquiry and claim of foul by Bracho aboard Survicat
resulted in her being disqualified to third for interference. That moved both Donald Dizney’s Good Intentions and Victor Kresic’s Survicat up for the dead-heat win. The former, with Eddie Castro
in the irons, is trained by Bill White and improved her record to
8-2-2-1, $97,460. Survicat is under the tutelage of Larry Bates and earned her
first win in this one (4-1-1-1) while increasing her earnings to $47,010.

A much less eventful finish took place in the $200,000
Elmer
Heubeck Distaff H. when Dr. Derek K. Paul and J.C. Benjamin’s AMERICAN MISS
(Ameri Valay) finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of her nearest rival. With Jose
Lezcano in the irons, the Paul Cecil trainee ran her mark to 30-7-3-6 with
$312,070 in earnings when finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 2/5.

Joseph J. Balsamo’s WEIGELIA (Safely’s Mark) earned his first stakes win this
year in the $150,000
Jack
Dudley Sprint H. by 2 3/4 lengths under Lezcano. Trained by Michael
Trombetta, the four-year-old bay captured the six-furlong test for the second
straight year and stopped the teletimer in 1:09 2/5. He now sports a
27-9-5-6 record with $668,170 in career earnings.

Live Oak Plantation’s REVVED UP (Sultry Song) moved closer to the $1 million
mark in earnings after adding the winner’s share of the $150,000
Bonnie
Heath Turf Cup H. to his line, which now reads 27-12-6-1, $946,596. Brice
Blanc guided the Christophe Clement charge to a 2 1/2-length win in the 1
1/8-mile grass test, which the gray finished in 1:45 4/5.