Meditations romps by 10 3/4 lengths

MIAMI - Meditations turned in the most eye-catching performance of Saturday's Grand Slam I program at Calder and served notice she could be a force to reckon with in the 3-year-old filly division this winter at Gulfstream Park by roaring to a 10 3/4-length triumph in the $100,000 Three Ring Stakes.

Adhrhythm, the even-money favorite coming off a seventh-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, finished last in the field of seven 2-year-old fillies.

Meditations came into the Three Ring with only two starts under her belt but ran like a seasoned veteran, stalking the early leaders before easing out and drawing off with complete authority when set down by jockey Rene Douglas through the stretch. Post Invader rallied from last to finish a distant second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of the previously undefeated Secretsoftheheart.

Meditations ($9.80), a daughter of Out of Place, is trained by Ralph Ziadie for owner- breeder Lucy Bassett. Her final time of 1:47.63 was .41 of a second faster than the 2-year-old colt Drums of Thunder covered the same 1 1/16 miles in while winning the What a Pleasure Stakes 30 minutes later.

"She's been a really nice filly from the beginning," said Ziadie. "She won't run again until Gulfstream."

What a Pleasure: 'Thunder' beats chalk

Drums of Thunder had to overcome an extremely eventful trip to run down 6-5 favorite Green Vegas and post a well-deserved 1 3/4-length decision in the $100,000 What a Pleasure for 2-year-old males.

Drums of Thunder was forced to steady repeatedly around the opening turn and again into the far turn. He still trailed the field when fanned very wide into the stretch but persevered to finish full of run and win going away. Green Vegas, the local division leader coming into the What a Pleasure, raced wide throughout, edged clear at midstretch. but proved no match for the winner.

Drums of Thunder ($14), a homebred son of Concerto, is owned by Herbert and Ione Elkins, trained by Bill Kaplan, and gave jockey Manoel Cruz his second stakes victory on the card. He also won the Grade 3 My Charmer aboard Amorama.