Calder: Frolic's Revenge earns a vacation until Gulfstream

MIAMI – Frolic’s Revenge did not win Friday’s Darley Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland but her fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 race for 2-year-old fillies pleased her owner-trainer Milt Wolfson none the less.

Under a flawless ride by jockey Juan Leyva, Frolic’s Revenge broke alertly from post 9 to immediately join the leaders before being eased back off the pace entering the clubhouse turn. Leyva was then able to angle Frolic’s Revenge, who had never run over an artificial surface prior to the Alcibiades, to the inside in the run down the backstretch. Frolic’s Revenge got within two lengths of the lead when set down turning for home, but could not keep up with the top trio through the final furlong although she dug in gamely to finish fourth in a bulky field of 13 2-year-old fillies.

“I was very happy with her performance,” Wolfson said from Keeneland just minutes after the race. “Juan gave her a really good ride. It’s just too bad she couldn’t have finished third since this was a Grade 1 and I own the mare.”

Wolfson said he would bring Frolic’s Revenge, winner of Calder’s Lindsay Frolic Stakes earlier this summer, back home and likely give her some time off before pointing the homebred daughter of Vindication for the Gulfstream Park meeting, which opens on Dec. 3.

“There’s nothing down there in Florida for her right now because she’s a Kentucky-bred,” said Wolfson. “She’s already run six times so we’ll just give her a little break. She’s too nice a filly to push and try to run in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Rodriguez makes the most of limited opportunities

Luis Saez ended the opening week of the Tropical at Calder meet in his familiar spot atop the jockey standings and increased that lead on Friday when he collected a hat trick to give him eight victories over the first five days of the session.

The biggest surprise thus far during the early stages of the Tropical meet has been Jose I. Rodriguez, who posted riding doubles on Thursday and Friday to put him in second place, just two behind Saez, entering the weekend action. Rodriguez won with an incredible 60 percent of his starters through Friday, having recorded his 6 victories from just 10 mounts.

Queen Drama preps for My Dear Girl

Heavy rains Saturday morning turned the main track into a sea of slop during training hours but did not prevent more than 50 horses from getting in timed workouts over the amazingly resilient surface. Among that group was Queen Drama, winner of the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl Stakes in her last start, who breezed five-eighths in 1:02.40 for trainer David Fawkes. Queen Drama will be one of the favorites next Saturday in the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl division of the Florida Stallion Stakes.

◗ Monday’s eight race program will be highlighted by the race 6, a first-level optional $16,000 claimer for older horses going one mile. Power Rules, runner-up under similar conditions nine days earlier, and recent starter allowance winner Decaf Again top the seven-horse field.