Up an Octave a Pletcher $17 winner

MIAMI - Getting a double-digit winning mutuel on anything trainer Todd Pletcher saddles these days is a rarity. Especially during the Tropical at Calder meet, during which Pletcher has saddled winners at nearly a 50 per cent clip.

But for the second week in a row a Pletcher-trained 2-year-old paid a square price for winning a stakes race at Calder. Last Saturday, Saint Augustus returned $24 for his victory in the What a Pleasure Stakes. And this Saturday it was Up an Octave, who paid $17 for his narrow decision against 3-5 favorite Yankee Master in the $100,000 .

Up an Octave, a son of Brahms owned by Vinery Stables LLC, was making his turf debut in the 1 1/16-mile Kris S. Allowed to settle at the back of the pack by jockey Chris De Carlo, Up an Octave was still about eight lengths behind the leaders turning for home, but finished full of run between horses to overtake Yankee Master in the final stride.

Yankee Master, who entered the race undefeated and off an easy win in Keeneland's Bourbon Stakes, was reserved just off the early pace of Mr. Silver. Yankee Master gradually overtook the leader inside the eighth-pole, but ducked out suddenly to briefly lose his momentum in late stretch and just failed to last. Mr. Silver finished third.

Up an Octave ran the distance in 1:44.11 over a good turf course.

Christmas Stocking, a former $25,000 claimer, rallied from mid-pack to a three-quarter-length victory over Sprightly in the $100,000 Cherokee Frolic Stakes. Warrior Girl finished third.

Christmas Stocking, a gray daughter of Ops Smile, was claimed for $25,000 by trainer Anthony Dutrow for owner Michael Dubb at Delaware Park on Sept. 11. An impressive maiden winner at Laurel in her previous start, Christmas Stocking rated off the pace under jockey Rafael Bejarano, angled out for clearance into the stretch, then ran down Sprightly in the closing yards.

Sprightly checked from tight quarters in the opening furlong, forced the pace while wide throughout, gained a short advantage in early stretch, then succumbed grudgingly.

Pletcher's 5-2 Frozen Treat, the second choice in the Cherokee Frolic, finished a non-threatening sixth.

Christmas Stocking returned $6.60 as the slight favorite after the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.38 seconds.

"This filly caught my eye when I first saw her so I decided if they ran her back for $25,000, I'd take her," said Dutrow. "We brought her down to Miami with this race and the Tropical Park Oaks in mind."

The $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks will be run on Jan. 1.