Cin Cin's ready, so White won't wait

MIAMI - Bill White had originally planned on training his leading 2-year-old hopeful Cin Cin up to the $400,000 In Reality division of the Florida Stallion Stakes on Oct. 23. But White, Calder's perennial leading trainer, had a change of heart and will instead send out Cin Cin along with stablemates D'court's Speed and Do Run Run in Saturday's $100,000 Foolish Pleasure Stakes.

Cin Cin has posted one-sided victories in each of his last two starts, including a five-length win over Favre and the odds-on B. B. Best in the seven-furlong Affirmed Stakes on Sept. 6.

"I know in the winner's circle after the Affirmed I said I was going to wait with him for the In Reality," White said. "But the colt is doing extremely well at the moment, and if I wait an additional three weeks I'd have to work him two more times, so after talking it over with the owner we decided take our best shot with this race and then prepare him for the In Reality."

A field of eight has been entered for the mile and 70-yard Foolish Pleasure, and along with the White trio it includes Lucky Frolic, Quick Runner, Hal's Image, and Dance to Remember.

"One thing about this business is that there are no guarantees," said White. "At the moment he might be the leading juvenile candidate here for the In Reality, but you never know who is going to ship in. Right now he's healthy and sound and the Foolish Pleasure is a good opportunity."

Brave Raj attracts seven fillies

Only seven 2-year-old fillies were entered for Saturday's $100,000 Brave Raj Stakes, which serves as a final prep for the $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes on Oct. 23. Dansetta Light, upset winner of the one-mile Lindsay Frolic Stakes earlier this month, and the red-hot Miss Croft top a lineup that also includes Sunny Isles Beauty, Frosty Royalty, Deepinnegotiations, Gem Lea, and Leona's Knight.

Tour of the Cat isn't done winning

Any thoughts that Tour of the Cat might be starting to feel his age were laid to rest this past weekend after the multiple graded stakes winner registered a convincing 2 1/2-length victory over Built Up in Sunday's $40,000 Sumter Stakes.

Tour of the Cat had failed to hit the board in four starts since winning a six-furlong optional claiming and allowance dash on May 11, but turned in a big performance in the 1 1/16-mile Sumter, which was run over a sloppy track. Now 6, Tour of the Cat stalked the pace of Hear No Evil, took command on the second turn, and easily withstood a bid from Built Up through the stretch.

Built Up rebounded from the worst performance of his career with his second-place effort in the Sumter, finishing 6 1/4 lengths clear of 4-5 favorite Super Frolic. Built Up had been eased two weeks earlier in the Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap on the turf.

Super Frolic may not have relished the wet going in the Sumter. The race marked the first time the son of Pine Bluff had ever run over an off track.

Tour of the Cat, Built Up, and Super Frolic are all likely to meet again in the Grade 3 Spend a Buck Handicap on Oct. 23.

Qureall a 2-year-old to watch

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. sent out one of the more promising 2-year-old maiden winners of the meet Saturday when Qureall rallied from far back to run down odds-on favorite Wisecrack and win his debut. The performance was all the more impressive because it came over a sloppy track, in the midst of tropical storm-like conditions courtesy of Hurricane Jeanne.

Qureall is a son of Yes It's True and is a half-brother to the multiple stakes winner Magic Mecke.

Penalba closes out Sunday with a triple

Cecilio Penalba had one of the most memorable 60-minute stretches of his riding career when he guided home the winner of each of the last three races on Sunday's program, including Boomer Creek at 27-1 and She's Noble at 29-1.

The all-Penalba pick three returned $9,340 for a $2 ticket.