Calder: Flutterby gets distance test in Chispiski

MIAMI – Flutterby will try to give her 93-year-old trainer Jerry Bozzo his first win of 2014 as the likely favorite in Saturday’s $65,000 Chispiski Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Calder.

Bozzo, the oldest trainer practicing his craft on a regular basis in the United States, owns and bred Flutterby, a daughter of Congrats who led virtually every step of the way to win the 5 1/2-furlong Cut the Charm here in her last start at 2. The Cut the Charm marked the first time Flutterby raced in blinkers in four career starts.

Flutterby, who has never run beyond six furlongs, will break from the rail and figures to have things her own way on the front end in the one-mile Chispiski. The question is whether she can carry her speed the extra distance around two turns.

Should Flutterby fail to stay the distance, the Chispiski becomes a wide-open race. Five of the other seven members of the field are coming off victories, including Light Bringer and Luna Santa, both of whom won first-level allowance races in their final starts at 2. Light Bringer is stakes-placed going a mile, having been beaten a nose by Flat Out Charming after holding the lead at midstretch in just her second career start, which came this past summer in the Lindsay Frolic.

Completing the lineup are Raising Passion, a good second behind Light Bringer when the pair met for the first time six weeks ago, Spangled Banner, Shy’s Aly, Bagira, and Tacones.