Hey Byrn needs his old-time form

MIAMI - Several horses whose careers never quite panned out as hoped following encouraging beginnings will cross paths in Sunday's $29,000 feature at Calder.

Hey Byrn, Sincero, and Stately Character are among the six horses entered to go a mile and 70 yards in an optional claiming allowance in the best of 10 races on Sunday's card.

Hey Byrn was the most noteworthy of the trio, having been on the Kentucky Derby trail at 3 and among the starters in the Preakness later that spring. A distant fourth behind ultimate Derby winner Big Brown in the 2008 Florida Derby, Hey Byrn rebounded out of that race to capture the Grade 3 Holy Bull for the most important victory of his career.

Hey Byrn's form has declined since he opened his 2010 campaign by finishing second behind Cool Coal Man and in front of multiple Grade 3 winner Delightful Kiss under high-priced optional claiming conditions on Jan. 22 at Gulfstream Park. A son of Put It Back trained throughout his career by Eddie Plesa Jr., Hey Byrn has been beaten an average of 14 lengths in three subsequent starts and will compete with a $25,000 price tag on his head on Sunday.

Stately Character and Sincero are also Florida Derby graduates, having finished fourth and fifth behind Quality Road in the 2009 edition of the Grade 1 race. Stately Character upset the Foolish Pleasure Stakes here at 2, but has not won in 15 subsequent tries. He has been beaten 21 and 22 lengths in two previous starts earlier in the meet. Sincero is winless in seven tries this season but did finish third in a restricted stakes on closing day at Gulfstream.

The field also includes Too Good, Enginery and Quiet Emarati.

Dubai's Connection scores again

Dubai's Connection captured her fourth race since the meet began just four weeks ago when she drew in off the also-eligible list to prove a popular winner of Thursday's fourth race, which was switched from the turf to the main because of to rain. Dubai's Connection was claimed for $6,250 by his current owner-trainer, Aubrey Maragh, out of the second of those four tallies on May 2. A daughter of E Dubai, Dubai's Connection was ridden to victory for the second time in a row by 10-pound apprentice Shamir Maragh.

* Austin Miller will assume his new post as president of Calder Casino and Race Course on Monday. Miller, formerly the president at Fair Grounds, replaces Tom O'Donnell, who announced he was leaving the position last month.

* Mambo Meister tops a field of six older horses entered to go 1 1/16 miles in Monday's Grade 3 Memorial Day Handicap. Mambo Meister will carry high weight of 121 pounds and faces a lineup that includes Too Many Toyz, Causeway's Kin, Unbridled Heat, Cinnamon Road and Dream Maestro.