Calder roundup

WHO’S HOT

Jockey Antonio Gallardo won three races on Friday’s program, his biggest day here this meet. Elvis Trujillo, a former local favorite who has gone on to bigger and better things up north the past several summers, had himself a nice homecoming on Saturday, posting a hat trick that included a couple of stakes tallies topped by his victory with Jessica Is Back in the Grade 1 Princess Rooney Handicap. Another former Calder riding champion, Eibar Coa, was a double stakes winner Saturday for trainer David Fawkes aboard both Little Drama and Big Drama. Defending jockey champ Manny Cruz was the only rider to win as many as four races during the abbreviated three day week topped by his victory aboard Pica Slew in the Grade 3 Azalea.

WHO’S NOT

Although he still holds a commanding lead in the jockey standings, Luis Saez managed only a single winner last week and began the current week on the sidelines serving out a riding suspension. He has struggled a bit since losing his apprentice allowance earlier this month.

TRACK TRENDS

Friday, July 9: Main track fast, turf called “good” for the first of the three races on the grass, upgraded to “firm” for the last pair, but for my money firm all day considering older maidens ran a 21-second opening quarter-mile in the fourth event. The temporary rail was set at 20 feet.

It was a mix of speed and closers on the main track that included late running shocker by the 28-1 Sumphin in the opener.

Saturday, July 10: The main track fast but very cuppy, the turf course firm with no rail. Although speed had some success during the early portion of the card on the dirt, front-runners began to struggle later in the afternoon, with nary a single wire-to-wire winner in the four graded stakes, including the 1-9 D’ Funnybone, who led most of the way but could not close the deal in the Grade 2 Carry Back Stakes.

Sunday, July 11: Main track fast, turf firm. The unseasonably dry weather continues to keep the main course a little on the slow side, once again bogging down speed horses through the stretch. Only two wire-to-wire winners on the card, including the odds-on Gun Drawn, with the majority of the dirt races won by horses racing mid-pack and beyond entering the far turn.

SUMMIT OF SPEED-FINAL THOUGHTS

There were a lot of stars to hand out on Summit of Speed day including ones to trainers Marty Wolfson and David Fawkes for capturing two stakes apiece on the outstanding card.

For my money, the number-one equine star goes to the 3-year-old filly Pica Slew, who comfortably won the Azalea, her final time of 1:11.12 seconds faster than both Coffee Boy (1:11.55) and Jessica is Back (1:11.48) covered the same distance in their victories in the Carry Back and Princess Rooney Handicap, respectively.

Star number two goes to half-brothers Big Drama and Little Drama, both of whom posted impressive tallies. Big Drama was the only horse to shade 1:11 over the cupping-out track, posting a 1:10.93 clocking to capture the Grade 2 Smile over Mambo Meister, who also deserves plenty of credit for finishing a fast-closing second despite having to alter course some near midstretch. Little Drama stamped himself the clear-cut leader of the local 2-year-old division with his one-sided domination of the Frank Gomez Memorial.

QUESTIONABLE WORKOUTS

It was not surprising that first-time starter Too Experience returned $30.20 off the two published workouts listed under his r é sum é for Friday’s second race. Unfortunately a close check of the work tabs and clockers sheets revealed that Too Experience had not actually worked on either of those mornings. What did come to light after further scrutiny of the workout tabs was a couple of decent albeit not spectacular gate works for Too Experience that were reported to the gate crew only under the name of the dam. Unfortunately, it was the dam of another horse altogether, which is why those works were never properly credited to Too Experience before his debut.

MIRROR MIRROR

Anybody who backed Almuraad in Sunday’s fourth race caught a real break when the Irish-bred was awarded a dead heat for the win with Andalusian. After taking nearly 10 minutes to make their decision, the placing judges opted to award both horses a share of the victory, primarily because the mirror image that helps them see the reverse angle of such a close finish apparently malfunctioned. A look at the original photo clearly shows Andalusian’s nose down on the wire with Almuraad’s nose blocked off in the picture. It also showed both Andalusian’s head and body clearly in front of his rival when the horses hit the final post. It is a good bet Andalusian won the race outright, although without a mirror image to help with their decision, the placing judges had little recourse but to declare the result a dead heat.

WORKOUT REPORT

Some impressions of recent workouts for horses racing in maiden races on Saturday’s card.

Second Race

B L’s Big Fish: He might be the best of the five first-time starters in the race off his July 3 work in which he beat a pair of stablemates including Crimson Streak, who also debuts in this spot, doing so under little pressure.

Fourth Race

Sweet Lizzie: She enters her debut with a limited work tab, albeit a pair of bullets including a 1:03.01 five furlong drill over a wet-fast track on Monday in which she finished with good interest without need of too much urging. She was also fast early, going in 36.04 seconds for her opening three-eighths before tiring to finish a half-mile in 49.60 over a deeper strip on Monday.

Luna Grande: One of four in a killer set that included two very good maidens from the Fawkes barn and another from the Benny Stutts stable last Sunday, each of whom showed high early speed from the gate. She is capable of bouncing back off a troubled and disappointing effort last time.

Floatnpastya: She finished several lengths behind stablemate Fly Bye Wildcat from the gate on June 20 but flashed some improved speed before galloping out three-eighths in 37.36 seconds out of the gate while breezing by herself one week later.

It’s a Wild Season: She was second-best in her June 29 gate work but came back to show some improved speed the following week before faltering in the run around the turn to complete a half in 50 and change.

Beso Grande: She has woken up a bit since that slow June 8 gate drill. Looked impressive finishing up the last half-mile of her five-furlong pole drill in 48.98 seconds and galloping out nicely on July 3. She also finished well over a deep track in her final tune up on Tuesday morning.

Ninth Race

Exley: He has looked sharp on several occasions in the morning. Hew flashed an extremely high turn of foot in his July 1 gate work, easily winning a set of five, shading 36 seconds for his opening three furlongs before tiring. Staying six furlongs at first asking the big question.

Chon: Another member of that aforementioned killer set from the gate on July 11 along with Luna Grande, in which he also showed a high turn of early foot in preparation for his second career start.

Mucho Macho Man: He was well backed when scratched at the gate last weekend. His July 4 gate move was the best of his three published workouts showing at press time. Easily outdistanced a stablemate after ripping off a 35.50-second opening three-eighths and 48.82-second half under only moderate late pressure.