Healthy again, Aclassysassylassy to try turf stakes

MIAMI - Aclassysassylassy got her first feel for the Calder turf course when she worked five furlongs in an eye-catching 58.90 seconds here Monday morning. The work came less than 48 hours after Aclassysassylassy, the undisputed leader of the local juvenile fillies division, was scratched as the favorite from Saturday's $100,000 Three Ring Stakes.

Trainer Dave Vivian said his filly had recovered quickly from the mild temperature she had run last Thursday morning, which forced her to miss the Three Ring.

"She had a little viral infection but was fine by the next day," said Vivian. "Although there was no sense taking any chance running her under the circumstances."

Leona's Knight, an 18-1 longshot, upset the previously undefeated Smuggler to win the 1 1/16-mile Three Ring.

"You never know what might happen. You've still got to go out and run the race, and the winner ran real big," said Vivian. "But I've still got to think my filly probably would have been tough to beat if she had been in there the way things turned out."

Aclassysassylassy, who swept all three filly divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes, was full of run once she was turned loose at the five-furlong pole on Monday morning. She posted fractions of 23, 34:81, and 47.77 seconds before galloping out in 1:13, according to Daily Racing Form.

"I told the rider to let her roll," said Vivian. "First of all she, hadn't had a work in three weeks, and more important I needed to find out if she could handle the grass. You're not going to learn much if she goes a half-mile in 53. I thought she went great and may have dispelled the theory about horses with small feet not liking the grass."

Vivian will waste little time testing that theory in a race when he runs Aclassysassylassy in Sunday's $50,000 Georgia Debutante Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

"This looks like a good spot for her first start on turf," said Vivian. "She won't have to go up against any of the heavy heads, and it's a nice place to find out if she wants to run on grass. Winning in this case will be secondary. She's bred on both sides for the turf, and if she does run well it gives us an extra dimension for her 3-year-old season."

Vivian has not committed to any plans for the winter, but he indicated he will look to pick the easiest spots possible for Aclassysassylassy, whose only setback in six starts came at the hands of the multiple stakes winner Punch Appeal in the J J'sdream Stakes.

"One of the races she's eligible for is the Sunshine Millions out in California, although it would mean turning her back to a sprint and running her over that hard racetrack at Santa Anita," said Vivian. "But it costs only $100 to nominate, so we'll nominate her and at least take a look."

Strong finish for Iowa's Image in workout

Among the other horses taking the opportunity to work over the turf course Monday was the red-hot Iowa's Image, who has suddenly risen to the upper echelon of the local filly and mare turf division.

Trained by Stanley Ersoff, Iowa's Image went seven furlongs in 1:30.04, but came home the final five furlongs in 1:01. She was kept well out past the middle of the course throughout her work even though the cones were not up.

Lismore sits one out

Aclassysassylassy was not the only 2-year-old scratched from Saturday's Grand Slam program. Trainer Ralph Ziadie was also forced to scratch Lismore from the $100,000 What a Pleasure Stakes because of a bruised foot suffered during his final work earlier in the week.

"The way that race was run with the fractions they set, he'd have won by the length of the stretch," Ziadie said moments after the What a Pleasure was completed.

Better Than Bonds rallied to defeat longshot G P's Black Knight in the What a Pleasure.

Lismore had led throughout to win his last start by nearly 11 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 86 for the seven furlongs.