Calder: Decisive Moment stays home for El Kaiser

Three-year-olds will be in the spotlight Saturday at Calder, with both the $75,000 El Kaiser and its filly counterpart, the $75,000 Three Ring, highlighting a card that also includes the $55,000 Ms Brookski for older fillies and mares on the turf.

The mile and 70-yard El Kaiser will feature the first south Florida appearance this season for the well-travelled Decisive Moment, who finished 14th after pressing the early pace in the Kentucky Derby. Decisive Moment is stabled at Calder, but has started five times at five different tracks at 3, with his best performances to date a victory in Delta Downs’ Jean Lafitte and a second in Turfway Park’s Grade 3 Spiral, a performance that punched his ticket to the Derby.

Trained by Juan Arias, Decisive Moment has not run over his home track since finishing third behind Reprized Halo in the In Reality Stakes when making his two-turn debut last fall.

The speedy Decisive Moment figures to have his hands full early in the El Kaiser with Manicero, who stretches out beyond seven furlongs for the first time in his career. Manicero won six of seven starts, including five stakes, during a span that extended from late October of his 2-year-old campaign through mid-May, but he’s coming off a disappointing sixth-place finish in the six-furlong Unbridled on June 11.

A rapid pace would enhance the chances of the steadily improving Imperial Czar who rallied to a three-length victory over the 6-5 Too Experience in the American Dreamer at a mile July 2. Too Experience, a winner of 7 of 12 career starts, will have a chance to avenge that setback in the El Kasier in a field that also includes Chiseled Light, Alley Oop Oop, Star of Sarava, and Andersonstate.

Callmethesqueeze and Prize Informant, who finished first and second, respectively, while separated by just a nose in the one-mile Strikethedancer Stakes on July 9, will renew acqaintances in the Three Ring.

Callmethesqueeze proved narrowly best following a prolonged stretch duel to register her second straight victory and third in the last four starts for trainer Manny Azpurua.

Prize Informant had her modest two-race win streak snapped when suffering a heartbreaking setback in the Strikethedancer.

White Merlot, beaten a head by Devilish Lady in the Grade 3 Azalea earlier this month, will stretch out around two turns for the first time and should assure an honest pace in the Three Ring.