Aclassysassylassy set for comeback

MIAMI - With all the talk around here this past week centering on In Summation and Running Lass and the possibility that both could sweep their divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes, it's easy to forget that the elusive feat was accomplished just a year ago by a little bitty filly named Aclassysassylassy.

Aclassysassylassy was the talk of the town during the summer of 2004 when she became only the second filly to win all three legs of the Stallion Stakes. However, the daughter of Wild Event faded into relative oblivion after completing her 2-year-old campaign with an easy win in the Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Stakes last Nov. 13. She has made only two starts since that victory, and none since finishing fourth as the 3-5 favorite in the Snurb Stakes here April 25.

But trainer Dave Vivian is getting Aclassysassylassy ready to launch a comeback - one that he hopes will thrust the 3-year-old back into the limelight.

"She had her little problems last winter and then just got sour on me when I brought her back here earlier in the meet," said Vivian, who trains Aclassysassylassy for his wife, Barbara, and longtime client Dominic Vittese. "So I decided to send her to the farm in Ocala for a couple of months to freshen up. She's been back training now for a while, worked five furlongs on Saturday, and looks and is doing much better than when she left in the spring. If all goes according to plan, I hope to get her back to the races on Sept. 24 in a stakes race on the turf."

Vivian was referring to the $75,000 Judy's Red Shoes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the grass, one of six stakes to be decided here on the Festival of the Sun Preview card.

"I just think all those hard races she had last year took more of a toll on her than we thought," said Vivian. "We'll try her one more time and I'm hoping for the best. If she doesn't perform up to par again, then she'll be retired and we'll look to breed her next season."

Mr. Fotis has four-furlong work

Mr. Fotis, who has been a disappointment in two starts since finishing second behind Medallist in the Grade 3 Deputy Minister Handicap on Feb. 5, worked four furlongs in 49.60 seconds here Wednesday.

A 4-year-old son of Diligence, Mr. Fotis will try to get himself untracked on Saturday when he stretches out to 1 1/16 miles in the $40,000 Ambehaving Stakes, an overnight event that drew a field of nine and will be conducted under allowance conditions.

One standout, one wide-open field

A pair of first-level optional-claiming races will highlight Friday's program. Tale of Freedom tops a wide-open field going 1 1/16 miles on the turf in the fourth race, while Out of Justice figures to be the heavy favorite in the co-featured ninth race. She won under similar conditions just 12 days earlier.