Mad Flatter heads Classic on Florida Million card

by Vance Hanson

With less than a month remaining of Calder Race Course's Tropical meet, the

most lucrative and prestigious events of the session are on the horizon. Before

graded stakes dominate the agenda the final two weeks beginning on Thanksgiving,

Florida-breds will have their turn in the spotlight on Saturday's eight-stakes

Florida Million program.

The richest event, the $150,000 Carl G. Rose Classic for older horses at 1

1/8 miles, has drawn a field of seven, headed by two-time Grade 3 Spend a Buck

Handicap winner Mad Flatter. The six-year-old ran his record at Calder to

two-for-two when repeating in the October 15 Spend a Buck over 1 1/16 miles, and

will take some catching under Jon Court.

A pair of three-year-olds look most likely to give Mad Flatter a scare. The

Todd Pletcher-trained Turbo Compressor made a favorable impression at Saratoga

when wiring the Curlin Stakes at nine furlongs, but the ridgling enters off a

disappointing fourth in the Smart Jones Stakes at Parx Racing and a fifth in a

Belmont overnight stakes. Manicero was a winner on the Florida Million program

as a juvenile last season, and later added six other stakes to his trophy

collection. He moves from turf to dirt following an even fourth in the October

15 Tropical Park Derby.

The $150,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares attracted

just six to go 1 1/16 miles. The heavy favorite will be Grade 3 winner Sweet

Repent, who has raced sparingly the past couple of years but has never lost her

ability to win. Heroine of the 2009 edition of this race, she's won eight of her

last nine including all three starts this year. Recent stakes winners Successful

Song, My Pal Chrisy and Callmethesqueeze will attempt to upset, while Prize

Informant is the primary speed on paper.

The $125,000 Bonnie Heath Turf Cup drew a full field to go 1 1/8 miles. Among

those likely to get pari-mutuel support are Slews Answer and Bad Debt, recent

allowance/optional claiming winners who invade from their seasonal base at the

Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. The three-year-olds Oligarch and Star of

Sarava step up in class after occupying the first two slots in the Tropical Park

Derby, while the four-year-old Tannersville, a fan of the Calder turf, will

attempt to improve on his third in last year's Turf Cup.

Last year's $125,000 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap for three-year-olds yielded

as its winner the rugged Tackleberry, who later stepped up to take the Grade 3

Fred W. Hooper Handicap over nine furlongs, as well as the Sunshine Millions

Classic and two graded stakes at Gulfstream last winter. Several major

contenders in this year's six-furlong edition exit an October 22 starter

allowance, where Royal Tricon, Black Diamond Cat and Bull Dozer too the top

three spots. Potential back-class contenders Pashito the Che and Peace at Dawn

are also among the field.

The remainder of the Florida Million stakes are restricted to two-year-olds.

They are the $125,000 Jack Price Juvenile and $125,000 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile

Fillies, both at seven furlongs, and the $100,000 Arthur I. Appleton Juvenile

Turf and $100,000 John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf, both over 1 1/16 miles.