Calder: Brei, Gold take aim at another Stallion Series sweep

Owner Fred Brei and trainer Stanley Gold swept the open division of the 2009 Stallion Series with Jackson Bend and the filly division a year ago with their ultimate Eclipse Award winner Awesome Feather. The pair will begin their quest for another sweep when sending out a couple of leading contenders in both the $75,000 Desert Vixen and Dr. Fager stakes, which kick off the six-race Stallion Series on Saturday at Calder.

Redbud Road and Awesome Belle will represent Brei’s Jacks or Better Farm in the six-furlong Desert Vixen. The pair finished a half-length apart in that order when first and second in the J J’sdream Stakes on July 2. The duo have won three times and not finished off the board in six cumulative starts.

A field of eight juvenile fillies will contest the Desert Vixen, and the field also includes a pair from trainer David Fawkes, who is no stranger to sweeping the Stallion Stakes. Fawkes sent out Big Drama to win all three legs of the open division in 2008 as an early harbinger to his Eclipse Award-winning campaign a year ago.

Fawkes will counter the Jacks or Better duo in the Desert Vixen with Big Drama’s baby sister Queen Drama and My Truly Fair. Both fillies are coming off maiden wins, with Queen Drama the more highly regarded of the uncoupled entry.

“This is a field of lightly raced, evenly matched young fillies, and it’s difficult to say who is best right now,” Fawkes said. “Queen Drama is very promising, but unfortunately we drew the rail.”

Lotta Lovin is coming off a sharp local and dirt debut when wiring a field of first-level allowance rivals going five furlongs July 16. The outing was the first for Lotta Lovin – who is eligible for the Stallion Stakes despite being a registered Pennsylvania-bred – since being shipped to trainer Marty Wolfson off a one-sided maiden win at Presque Isle.

The speedy Montessa G., who easily defeated Queen Drama when capturing her only previous start by 2 3/4 lengths early this summer, may prove the one to catch in the Desert Vixen with the addition of blinkers. She completes the field along with Sweet and Vicious

Brei and Gold will start the stakes-placed Argentine Tango and runaway maiden winner Fort Loudon in the six-furlong Dr. Fager.

Argentine Tango started slow, but finished fast to be second best behind Mel Beach in the 5 1/2-furlong Frank Gomez Memorial, while Fort Loudon drew off to a 10-length victory when getting Lasix and stretching out to six furlongs for the first time to earn his diploma in his fourth career start.

Wolfson’s Boltzapper, an easy seven-length maiden winner in his second career start, may be the one to beat in the Dr. Fager. Paul Pompa Jr. purchased a majority interest in Boltzapper from his breeder, Chester Bishop, after the colt finished a troubled second in his career debut.

Mel Beach will look to build on his maiden win in the Gomez and is one of three members from trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.’s barn entered in the Dr. Fager along the improving Saint Pete and undefeated Singing My Way.

The bulky lineup also includes Hello Prince, who finished third as the 2-5 favorite in the Gomez, For Oby, Twin, Burning Time, and SoyYo.