Calder: 'Petrina' wire to wire

MIAMI - Petrina Above, still going strong at age 9, showed her heels to nine younger rivals when she led throughout to post an easy 4 1/2-length victory in the $75,000 U Can Do It Handicap at Calder.

Petrina Above broke running from her outside post and easily outsprinted 9-5 favorite Sea Span for the early lead in the 6 1/2-furlong U Can Do It. Petrina Above set comfortable fractions of 23.01 seconds and 46.95 under jockey Abdiel Toribio, settled into the stretch with a three-length advantage while still well in hand, and maintained a safe lead when set down for the final furlong.

Really Royal broke poorly but slipped through along the rail and finished best of all to be second, a half-length in front of Family Favorite. Sea Span weakened badly through the stretch and beat only one horse.

Despite having posted a similar wire to wire victory in the Barbs Dancer Stakes earlier in the meet, Petrina Above returned $21.20 after covering the distance in 1:19 over a fast track. A daughter of Great Above trained by Frank Carlisi, Petrina Above has now earned more than $450,000 for her owner-breeder, Alfred Luccarelli.

"Her last race was probably the worst of her career," said Carlisi, referring to Petrina Above's ninth-place finish over a sloppy track in the Golden Or Stakes. "She used to like slop earlier in her career, but as horses get older they sometimes don't handle it as well, especially the wet, sandy track here. But the race didn't take anything out of her, and today she was fine over the dry track."