Busy day on Saturday May 31, as 4 horses are entered.  Fortunately, two are in the same race. First on tap is Birdcaper (colt; Birdstone - Sweet Caper by Cape Town). Birdcaper is the first foal out of the winning mare, Sweet Caper who is a half-sister to 5 winners including stakes winner Leslie's Lady. Leslie's Lady won 4 races in her 2-year old season including the Hoosier Debutante Stakes.

First-crop sire City Place is represented by Lots of Tricks (City Place - Gray Trick by Favorite Trick). City Place is a Storm Cat stallion out of the grade I winner, Glitter Woman who placed in three graded stakes as a 2-year old. City Place has had 2 starters and no winners to date. Lots of Tricks' dam, Gray Trick, was unraced and she has produced one winner from one starter. That winner won as a 2-year old.

Two horses have experience in the field. Safety Squeeze (Trippi - Caught Lookin' by Cozzene) has raced twice, finishing 5th in his debut on April 26th and 3rd on May 17. Both of these races were at 4.5 furlongs at Calder. Safety Squeeze is out of a winning mare who has produced 2 winners from 2 to race. Pound Foolish (Exchange Rate - Kobella Bean by Mecke) finished 6th in his only start, a 4.5 furlong race at Calder on May 10. Pound Foolish' dam is a half-sister to 7 winners including graded stakes winner Boots 'n Jackie whose $647,580 earnings include a 3rd in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and victory in the Golden Rod (gr. III) as a 2-year old.

Selling for $70,000 as a yearling was Holy Image (Macho Uno - Snow Image by Frosty the Snowman). He is a half-brother to 2 winners, one of which was a 2-year old debut winner. His dam is a half-sister to Halo's Image grade III winner who earned $549,891.

Regis (Wekiva Springs - Devotedness by Anet) is the first foal out of an unraced mare who is a full- or half-sister to 4 winners including Joint Effort. Joint Effort won or placed in 8 stakes (including 5 graded stakes) and earned $791,465. She finished 2nd in the Debutante (gr. III) as a 2-year old.

D. C.'s Legacy (Mr. Livingston - Miss Godiva by Way West (FR)) is out of a winning mare who had one win and one 3rd in 3 starts as a 2-year old. One of her offspring has raced, Jazmin Island, and she also had one win and one 3rd in 3 2-year old starts.

May 31, 2008
Calder Race Course Race 1
Maiden Special Weight
5 Furlongs
2 Year Olds
Post Time: 12:50 PM HRTV

Curly Is More Than Able To Cross Four Rivers

Although the race is carded for 3 and up, all the entries are three-year olds. Some familiar faces in this one, as Curly (Gulch - Fount by Kris S.), More Than Able (More Than Ready - Countus Affair by Black Tie Affair (IRE)), and Calzone (A. P. Indy - Corrazona by El Gran Senor) ran against one another on May 3 finishing 2nd, 4th, and 5th respectively. Another entry, Tiz Clever (Tiznow - Eliot Chacer by Clever Trick) was entered on May 3, but was scratched.

This is our boy Curly's third start and continued improvement should see him in the Winner's Circle.  However, he does need some speed to setup his late kick.  

Calzone is the veteran of the race, having started 5 times, once as a 2-year old and 4 times this year. His best finish was the fifth achieved in his most recent start.  His dam, Corrazona, earned $518,218 including victory in the Beverly Hills (gr. I). Calzone is a half- or full-brother to 4 winners including Olmodavor who won or placed in 7 graded stakes and earned $706,540.

More Than Able has run 4 times, 3 times this year and once last year.  He has finished 4th three times, including his last 2 races. He is a half-brother to 3 winners including the stakes winner Imelda Oh who has earned $127,229 through 2008.

Selling for $180,000 as a yearling was Tiz Clever, who has raced three times, all these year. His best finish was 2nd in a mile and 40 yards contest at Tampa Bay. Tiz Clever's dam was a stakes-winner who earned $107,950. She is the dam of 3 winners.

Four Rivers (Two Punch - Lustily by Kris S.) is making his 2nd start. In his debut, he finished 7th in a 6 furlong race on April 2 at muddy Oaklawn Park. Four Rivers is a half-brother to 2 winners.

Stretching out in this race is B K Winks (Evansville Slew - Gini Ice by Tiffany Ice) whose 2 starts (in which he finished 3rd and 4th) have come at 6 furlongs. B K Winks is a half-brother to one winner, Mollylane who won two 6.5 furlong races.

Dynacast's (Dynaformer - Nice Gal by Naskra) debut on March 31 of this year saw him finish 10th on the turf at 1 1/8 miles.  His 2nd start was a 5th place finish at a mile on the dirt on May 9 at Churchill Downs. His dam was a stakes winner who earned $168,989. Dynacast is a full-brother to millionaire and grade I winner Perfect Drift who has earned $4,699,321 through 2008 and most recently finished 4th in the Shoemaker Mile (gr. I) on May 26.

May 31, 2008
Arlington Park Race 3
Maiden Special Weight
1 1/16 miles
3 Year Olds and up
Post Time: 2:58 PM HRTV

Renda and Aerin She Lovely Go Head-to-Head 

Another match race at Maiden Watch, as Renda (Medaglia d'Oro - Ten Carats by Capote) and Aerin She Lovely (Birdstone - Strawberrydaiquiri by Cherokee Run) both debut at Calder May 31. Renda is the 2nd foal out of the stakes-placed mare, Ten Carats. Ten Carats earned $131,855 and was also a debut winner at 2. Her first foal is a winner who earned $52,085. The dam of Aerin She Lovely is a half-sister to Wimbledon, who earned $443,818 including a win in the Louisiana Derby (gr. II).

The only experienced horses in the race, Don't Like to Fly (Stone Bridge - Flying Prospector by Geri) and Keep Running (Strong Hope - Raintree Lake by Salt Lake) made their only start in a 2 furlong race at Calder on May 10 where Don't Like to Fly was 3rd and Keep Running 7th. Don't Like to Fly is a full-sister to one winner. Her dam is a half-sister to 10 winners including 2 stakes winners. Keep Running is by first-year stallion, Strong Hope who has had 2 runners and no winners. Strong Hope earned $767,460 in a career that included victories in the Dwyer (gr. II) and Jim Dandy (gr. III).  However, Strong Hope did not race as a 2-year old. Keep Running's dam, Raintree Lake, was stakes-placed and earned $84,971. She did not run as a 2-year old either. Keep Running is her first offspring to reach the races.

First-year sire Read the Footnotes is the sire of Tailbytherail (Read the Footnotes - So Social by Proud Truth). Read the Footnotes has had 2 starters who have made a total of 3 starts with no placings to-date. Read the Footnotes won $450,000 in his career and won 4 out of 5 starts as a 2-year old including his debut, the Remsen (gr. II) and the Nashua (gr. III). Tailbytherail's dam, So Social, was a winner of $218,791. She has not yet had any foals race.

Chatter Wine (Yes It's True - Crafty Notebook by Notebook) sold for $65,000 as a weanling. She is the first foal out of the winning mare, Crafty Notebook. Crafty Notebook is a half-sister to 3 winners including Chandtrue who was 4 for 4 as a 2-year old including victories in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship (gr. III), the Haggin, and the Willard L. Proctor Memorial. Chandtrue is by Chatter Wine's sire, Yes It's True.  

Selling for $50,000 as a 2-year old was East to Eden (E Dubai - Heaven Knows Why by Star de Naskra). Her dam was a stakes winner who earned $133,720. East of Eden is a half-sister to 7 winners.

The dam of Hickory Gray (Flame Thrower - White Ruffle by Vigors) was stakes-placed and earned $48,798. She has produced 3 winners.

Cumana (Full Mandate - Sweet Alabastar by Gulch) brought $70,000 as a 2-year old. She is a half-sister to 4 winners, 2 of which won as 2-year olds.

May 31, 2008
Calder Race Course Race 6
Maiden Special Weight
5 Furlongs
2 Year Old Fillies
Post Time: 3:02 PM HRTV