Local 'Toyz' with It's a Bird in Carl Rose Classic

Carlos Olivero grinned as he crossed under the wire with Too Many Toyz (Jim Lisa Photos)

Local runner TOO MANY TOYZ (Northern Afleet) earned the biggest win

of his career on Saturday when upsetting 3-5 favorite It's a Bird

(Birdonthewire) in the $200,000

Carl G. Rose Classic H. on Calder's Florida Million Day.

"He's been coming along good for a while now, and then when the

weather changed a few days ago, it really picked him up," trainer Luis

Olivares explained. "There was an offer to buy him not long ago and I

told the owner that this wasn't the time to sell and we should take a

shot in here."

Jockey Carlos Olivero settled the six-year-old bay into a stalking

position just in behind the dueling pacesetters Hal's My Hope (Halo's

Image) and It's a Bird. The public's choice put away his rival on the

backstretch, assuming complete control and moving over to the rail

nearing the turn. By this point, Oliver had let Too Many Toyz loose and

the 5-1 second pick ranged up to the outside of It's a Bird to

challenge. The Too Many Toyz could never quite shake loose from It's a

Bird, but did manage to take over in the lane. The Osed LLC colorbearer

finally got the best of his rival on the wire, registering a one-length

victory.

Soldier's Dancer declared victory in the Bonnie Heath Turf Cup (Jim Lisa Photos)

Herman Heinlein's SOLDIER'S DANCER (Lost Soldier) stumbled at the

start and lost his rider in last year's $150,000

Bonnie Heath Turf Cup H., but gained redemption in this season's

running with a half-length score under jockey Manoel Cruz. The David

Vivien trainee settled into last in the six-horse field while Mean Sax

(Smooth Jazz) and Pickapocket (Mecke) led the field into the stretch.

The five-year-old Soldier's Dancer came four wide around the turn and

set his sights on the front runners, wearing them down to complete 1 1/8

miles on the firm turf in 1:48 4/5.

"We knew going in that there was no pace in the race and we could be

at their mercy (speed up front)," Vivian said. "I told Manoel to

just use his own judgment where to place him. We had the same situation

last time in the race at Philadelphia Park, but he overcame it then and

did it again today.

"He's all class and heart. I've said it before. He's the best horse

I've had in 60 years training. He's got his share of problems and he

overcomes. We handle him with kid gloves. That will be it until the

Sunshine Millions (Turf) at Gulfstream (on January 30, a race he won

last year at Santa Anita over Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) runner-up Presious

Passion [Royal Anthem])."

Sweet Repent relished sweet triumph in the Elmer Heubeck Distaff (Jim Lisa Photos)

In the $200,000

Elmer Heubeck Distaff H., Buongiorno A Tutti Stable's SWEET REPENT

(Repent) recorded her third straight win at Calder, but this one came

with a much larger margin. The J. David Braddy charge was a nose heroine

of an allowance/optional claimer and the Judy's Red Shoes S. in her last

two, but posted a 3 1/4-length victory under Cruz in this one.

Chasing the pacesetting 3-4 favorite Jessica is Back (Put It Back), the

dark bay sophomore collared that rival inside the eighth-pole and drew

clear to stop the clock in 1:46 3/5 for 8 1/2 furlongs on the dirt.

"She had been training very well and the owners (Jim Pino, Buongiorno

A Tutti Stable) give her plenty of time between races...so, I don't want

to sound cocky...but I had a lot of confidence in her going into this

race," Braddy said. "She beat some nice fillies and mares today. We're

pointing for the (December 26) Stage Door Betty ([G3] at Calder) next."

Pashito the Che overpowered his Jack Dudley Sprint rivals (Jim Lisa Photos)

Tuna Stable LLC and Off the Hook LLC's PASHITO THE CHE (Flatter) continued

his domination of the lower-level sprint ranks, but this time the Scott

Lake-trained three-year-old had to work for it. Drawing even with pacesetter

Prince Joshua (First Tour) in the stretch of the $150,000

Jack Dudley Sprint H., Paschito the Che had to dig deep after that runner

came back on to his inside. The final margin was a neck and the teletimer

flashed 1:11 2/5 for the three-quarter test on the main track.

"I was a little concerned when he made the lead," Lake admitted. "He

tends to get to playing a little bit and won't put 'em away. He did that

last time in the Gallant Bob at Philadelphia Park.

"He's a very nice young horse that has just gotten better and better

as the season has gone on. We'll take him back north for now to Delaware

Park and then bring him back down with the stable for the winter at

Gulfstream. We'll point him for the Sunshine Million Sprint (on January

30). He won't run again before then."

Carphonic appears to have a bright future ahead (Jim Lisa Photos)

Gem Racing's homebred CARPHONIC (Lion Heart) dominated her maiden debut by 8

1/4 lengths on October 11 for trainer Bill White, and the chestnut miss found

her stakes bow in the $150,000

Joe

O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies S. to be just as easy. The two-year-old lass did

get bumped and steadied between horses at

the start, then steadied again by jockey Luis Arango soon after leaving the

chute. Coming four wide around the turn, Carphonic put on a burst of speed to

take command and simply drew off from there.

"She came to me from the farm touted about as high a horse could be, based on

how she was training," White admitted. "Her early training told us she could be

the real deal and she hasn't disappointed yet. We haven't planned (what's next)

too far ahead; I just know we don't want to over-race her. We'll get her ready

for Gulfstream."

Running seven main-track furlongs

in 1:26 2/5, the filly had stakes veterans Joanie's Catch (First Tour) and

Sweetlalabye (Sweetsouthernsaint) back in second and third, respectively, and

has accumulated $106,220 from her undefeated two-for-two mark. Sent off the near

5-2 second choice, she paid $6.80, $5.20 and $3.60.

Hear Ye Hear Ye made some noise in the Jack Price Juvenile (Jim Lisa Photos)

"We've always known he had ability, but he would run a good race and

then a bad one," Gold said. "You never knew which one would show up.

Today we decided if he made the lead to let him go ahead, but if not,

let him settle which is what happened. He just has to learn to relax.

You saw he was still stirred up in the winner's circle after the race.

We'll probably try him going longer again, nothing specific picked out

right now, but there are races we'll look at out of town coming up.

"It's nice to have this one do well with the other horse no longer in

the barn (stablemate Jackson Bend [Hear No Evil], sold privately after

sweeping the Florida Stallion Stakes series)."

The gray colt broke his maiden by 7 1/4 lengths

over the track in early August, and was fourth in the Birdonthewire S. last out.

The winner's share here boosted Hear Ye Hear Ye's earnings to $129,977, and he

returned $43.20, $19.40 and $7.60 to his backers.

Bim Bam flew home in his turf debut (Jim Lisa Photos)

"He's so versatile," Brownlee praised his charge. "His mama (Laurel

Light [Colony Light]) was a stakes horse on turf, so I thought he'd

handle it. He got his first experience on turf with an easy (half-mile

workout) over the course (November 9).

"Eibar put him into the race pretty early. You don't have much choice

from the 11 post. Then he had to fight him a little to get him to settle

on the first turn, but then he leveled off and went on from there. That

will be it for him this year."

"I'm glad that we had the chance to work him on the turf course last

week because he needed that experience," Coa said. "He was so much more

focused today because of it. Last time I rode him on the main track in

the In Reality (division of the Florida Stallion Stakes) and he ran well

at the distance, but he got a little tired. That was not the case today,

he ran the entire race, from gate to wire. I think that is because he is

better on the turf than the main track."

Wild Mia strutted her stuff on Calder's turf (Jim Lisa Photos)

Also sent off at nice odds of 28-1, Craig Wheeler's WILD MIA (Wildcat Heir) broke through with her first career

victory in the $100,000

John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf S. for trainer Pete Anderson to start the

stakes action on the day. Giving rider Antonio Gallardo his first stakes win, the gray lass came four

wide around the turn and put in a furious rally to catch the pacesetting Winsockie

(Trippi) by the sixteenth pole. Wild Mia then dug in and repelled the late

challenge of Dancing Rage (Sligo Bay [Ire]) to score the one-length win in a

final time of 1:42 1/5 for 1 1/16 grassy miles.

"This filly was almost sold a few days ago, but they (potential buyers)

turned her down, so I said to Craig (Wheeler), 'She's training great and I don't

think she'll embarrass us, so let's take a shot in the stakes,'" Anderson said.

"Last year some said we had the best one-horse stable in the country with (Grade

2 hero) Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris). Now, we might have the best three-horse

stable with this one, (Calder Oaks winner) Chary (Montbrook) and Delightful Kiss

is back in training. He's got his problems, but we hope to get him back."