Penn National: Calends back home

As a 3-year-old in 2002, Calends was talented enough to finish third in three sprint stakes, including the $150,000 Gallant Bob at Philadelphia Park. Although he was based at Penn National then, Calends always shipped out of town to race.

Now a 5-year-old, Calends will make his first stakes appearance at his old home track in the $25,000 Alison McClay Memorial, a six-furlong race for older horses.

Claimed by trainer John Zimmerman for $25,000 in April at Gulfstream, Calends won his first start for his new connections in an allowance race May 28, earning a 79 Beyer.

That still means Calends must improve substantially to compete with Philadelphia shipper Heroic Sight, winner of two in a row with Beyers of 97 and 90, and Distinct Vision, who posted five.