Mia's Reflection goes in My Dear Girl

MIAMI - Trainer Barry Rose's decision of whether to pass Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl Stakes with his homebred Mia's Reflection to await the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies two weeks later simply came down to a matter of economics. And in the end, it proved to be no decision at all.

Rose entered Mia's Reflection on Monday along with 10 other 2-year-old fillies for the 1 1/16-mile My Dear Girl. The race shares top billing with the $400,000 In Reality Stakes on Calder's marquee event, the $1.6 million Festival of the Sun.

"We worked out the numbers and realized the only way we could do better financially by going to the Breeders' Cup was by winning the race," Rose said.

"Not that we have completely ruled out the Juvenile Fillies as a possibility. I'd really rather not run her back in only two weeks, but we'll see how she runs here Saturday and see how she comes out of the race. If everything went just right, then we could still take a shot at the Breeders' Cup."

Mia's Reflection figures to be among the leading contenders in a very competitive My Dear Girl. She is coming off a pair of two-turn wins - in the Lindsay Frolic and Brave Raj stakes. The field for the My Dear Girl will also include Running Lass, who already has won the opening two legs of the filly division of the Stallion Stakes; California invader Mystery Girl; the speedy Stolen Prayer; and the promising Siren Cove.

Manoel Cruz, who rode Mia's Reflection in the Brave Raj, will again have the call, despite the fact he has been aboard Running Lass for each of her last six starts, including both Stallion Stakes wins. Jerry Bailey will replace Cruz on Running Lass in the My Dear Girl.

Siren Cove, second and third behind Running Lass in the opening two legs of the series, will get blinkers for her two-turn debut on Saturday. She'll also have a new rider, Jose Lezcano, replacing Eddie Castro, who has opted to ride Stolen Prayer.

Siren Cove missed an expected start in the Brave Raj because of a slightly twisted ankle, but trainer Ralph Ziadie is expecting a big performance on Saturday.

"She really only missed a couple of days of training due to the ankle, and she's working well for this race," said Ziadie. "She's definitely going to improve off her last couple of starts. There looks like a lot of speed in the field and she should be coming at them at the end."

In the 1 1/16-mile In Reality, In Summation will also attempt to complete a sweep of the Stallion Series. Despite the presence of In Summation, the undefeated leader of the local division, the In Reality drew a strong field of 11 juveniles, including Kentucky invaders Cab and Bacetto.

Cab, who will race in blinkers for the first time, is coming off a third-place finish behind Stream Cat in the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Juvenile and - with Bailey aboard - figures to be co-favored with In Summation. Bacetto is an improving colt who ships in for trainer Darrin Miller off a maiden win at Turfway Park.

Other key contenders in the In Reality include Blazing Rate, winner of the Foolish Pleasure Breeders' Cup Stakes; In Summation's uncoupled stablemate First Movement; and Lucky Chief.

Big fields for the Festival

Six of the eight stakes on the Festival of the Sun card drew fields of 10 or better. The $200,000 Calder Oaks attracted 12 3-year-old fillies. The My Dear Girl, In Reality, and $200,000 Calder Derby drew 11 horses apiece, and the $100,000 J'j'sdream and Criterium Stakes attracted 10 2-year-olds each.

The $100,000 Shocker T. Handicap and $100,000 Spend a Buck round out the stakes lineup.

B. B. Best to go in Spend a Buck

Trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. did not cross-enter B. B. Best in the Calder Derby, and as expected will start his Grade 1-placed colt for the first time against older horses in the Spend a Buck. Bailey will have the call.

B. B. Best, who has not started since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Withers on April 30, will receive five pounds from 119-pound highweight Whos Crying Now. Three of the eight starters in the Grade 3 Spend a Buck are 3-year-olds: B. B. Best, Hal's Image, and Dazzling Dr. Cevin.

Court's day

Jockey Jon Court will fly in from California for the Festival of the Sun, and, like Bailey, will have a busy Saturday.

Court will be aboard Gold Success for trainer Milt Wolfson in the Calder Derby, Mystery Girl in the My Dear Girl, Conveyor's Angel in the Oaks, Bacetto in the In Reality, Weekend Weather in the Criterium, and Mocita in the Shocker T.