Lawbook has rapid workout

MIAMI - Lawbook served notice he is coming up to the $400,000 In Reality Stakes at Calder in top form by working a half-mile in 47.20 seconds under jockey Roger Velez on Saturday morning.

Lawbook has won his last three starts, including the six-furlong Dr. Fager and seven-furlong Affirmed stakes, the first two legs of the open division of the Florida Stallion Stakes. A victory in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile In Reality would make him the sixth horse to sweep all three legs of the series.

"I was hoping he'd go in about 48 or 48 and a piece," owner-trainer Thomas Heard Jr. said after Lawbook had cooled out after his work. "He was going nice and handy, but when he saw another horse in front of him at the top of the stretch he just took off.

"That was the fastest work he's had since the Affirmed." Heard added. "I gave him a couple of slow ones after the race and then had him go six furlongs in 1:13 and change last time. That's it for now. He'll just gallop into the In Reality."

While Lawbook was the only In Reality hopeful to work Saturday, three potential starters for the $400,000 My Dear Girl got in their final trials over the fast track. Dakota Light went five furlongs in 1:01.40, Heavenly Miss covered the same distance in 1:03, and Fortunate Card breezed a mile in 1:47.60.

Best of the Rest, who will seek to defend his title in the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap on Saturday's Festival of the Sun undercard, turned in one of the most impressive works of the morning, going a mile in 1:44.40 just before the renovation break.

Best of the Rest posted an easy 2 3/4-length victory over Dancing Guy in the 2001 Spend a Buck. He has not started since finishing seventh in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadow Cornhusker Handicap on July 6.

Castlebrook, who figures to be second choice behind Coolbythepool in Saturday's $100,000 Shocker T. Handicap, worked five furlongs in 1:02 on Saturday, while Cellars Shiraz, the top local hopeful in the $200,000 Calder Oaks, went five-eighths in 1:02.80.

The majority of the invaders for Saturday's $1.65 million Festival of the Sun program will arrive Thursday morning on a Tex Sutton charter flight that will originate in New York and stop en route in Louisville.

Among the passengers on that flight will be Mister Deux (In Reality); Miesque's Approval (Calder Derby); Union Place (Derby); Youghal Bay (Derby); Thunder Days (Derby); Maliziosa (Oaks); Mariensky (Oaks), and Texas Glitter (Turf Sprint).