La Chica Sensual drills for Susan's Girl

MIAMI - La Chica Sensual, runaway winner of the Desert Vixen Stakes on Aug. 16, worked an easy five furlongs in 1:04.40 on Saturday for trainer Pablo Andrade.

The Desert Vixen was the opening leg of the filly division of the Florida Stallion Stakes. La Chica Sensual will return next Saturday as the likely favorite in the middle leg of the series, the seven-furlong $150,000 Susan's Girl.

Bee Cee Cee, runner-up behind Big Drama in the Dr. Fager division of the Stallion Stakes, also worked here Saturday, going a half-mile in 49.20 seconds. Bee Cee Cee and Big Drama will likely renew acquaintances in Saturday's $150,000 Affirmed Stakes.

Big Drama, a three-length winner of the Dr. Fager for trainer David Fawkes, was scheduled to work on Sunday, weather permitting, for the seven-furlong Affirmed.

Classic Moon, Man Above rematch

The last time Classic Moon and Man Above met, their riders wound up entangling and losing their whips during the stretch run of a second-level optional claiming race here on Aug. 16. The pair finished second and third, respectively, behind Casino Gambler.

Classic Moon and Man Above will renew acquaintances under similar conditions in Monday's 11th race, to be decided at 5 1/2 furlongs for a $27,000 purse.

Man Above and Classic Moon dueled on the front end for better than five furlongs before the pace battle, and their unexpected close encounter with the whips took its toll through the final sixteenth of the six-furlong dash. The outing was just the second this year for Man Above, who began his career locally with trainer Bill White but is now under the care of Eddie Plesa Jr.

A couple of old veterans, Pirate King and Champagne Account, figure prominently in the Labor Day headliner. The 7-year-old Pirate King earned one of the better Beyer Speed Figures of his career, a 90, when second best after leading for most of the race against straight $25,000 claimers going a mile on Aug. 9.

Champagne Account, now 8, has finished second in each of his last two starts. The homebred son of Top Account owns more victories over the local strip, eight, than the rest of this field combined.

It's a Bird soars in the slop

It's a Bird benefited from the heavy rain that forced Saturday's sixth race from the turf to a sloppy main track, overtaking a dead game B L's a Runner to win the third-level optional claiming and allowance race for trainer Marty Wolfson and owner Edmund Gann.

Mambo Meister, sent postward the 8-5 favorite in the race despite facing older horses for the first time, finished off the board after losing his best chance by breaking several lengths behind the field.