Juvenile Showcase back for an encore on Stallion Stakes Day

MIAMI - Racing secretary Bob Umphrey did the seemingly impossible last year when he carded an entire 13-race program with 2-year-old races. The promotion proved so popular with horsemen and fans that Umphrey is ready to do it all over again when Calder presents its second annual Juvenile Showcase on Sept. 4.

The Juvenile Showcase will be fashioned around the middle legs of the Florida Stallion Stakes, the $125,000 Affirmed and Susan's Girl divisions. There are also four other stakes scheduled for the card, all carrying $50,000 purses, including the Fasig-Tipton Turf Dash and its filly counterpart, the Catcharisingstar, both at five furlongs on the grass.

Calder has long been recognized as a proving ground for 2-year-olds, with juveniles making up more that half the population of the barn area every summer. National champions Brave Raj, Cherokee Run, Hollywood Wildcat, Holy Bull, Princess Rooney, Smile, Spend a Buck, and Unbridled are among the top horses who either began their careers or raced here during their juvenile campaigns.

Model Home takes Forty One Carats

Model Home, the longest price on the board at 15-1, showed surprisingly improved speed and form to easily capture Friday's Forty One Carats Stakes despite bobbling after the break.

Model Home had not finished closer than fifth or within 5 1/4 lengths in his last five starts, dating back to October when he registered a similar upset over a field of high-priced optional claiming and allowance opposition. But with blinkers on for the second time, Model Home survived an early pace duel with Swift Replica before edging away to defeat Just Say the Word and 6-5 favorite Love That Moon by 2 1/2 lengths in the 6 1/2-furlong Forty One Carats.

Just Say the Word, who figured to force the early pace after being on the lead in each of his last two starts, broke a step slowly and trailed the field for a half-mile before swinging wide and outfinishing Love That Moon by a head to be second.

Twilight Road to Miami Mile

Trainer David Fawkes, who trained the graded-stakes winner Forty One Carats, passed that race - along with last weekend's Side Bar Stakes and Groomstick Handicap - with Twilight Road, whom he plans to train into the Grade 3 Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Handicap on Labor Day. Twilight Road, who captured the Grade 3 Memorial Day Handicap after the race was taken off the turf, has not started since finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Handicap.

Fawkes said Twilight Road will compete in the Miami Mile even if the race goes as scheduled on the grass.