Tour of the Cat holds off Best of the Rest

MIAMI - Tour of the Cat proved once again he is as courageous as he is talented by holding off 3-5 favorite Best of the Rest following a prolonged stretched drive to register a one-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap at Calder. The Grade 3 event highlighted the undercard on the $1.5 million Festival of the Sun program.

Tour of the Cat, a son of Tour d'Or, set a leisurely pace of 25 and 49.80 seconds while tracked from the outset by two-time Spend a Buck winner Best of the Rest. Jockey Jerry Bailey aboard Best of the Rest appeared to have the leader measured turning for home but Tour of the Cat dug in and maintained his advantage to the wire.

The Spend a Buck was the third graded stakes win this season for Tour of the Cat, who also won the Grade 2 Richter Scale and Grade 3 Miami Mile Breeders' Cup Mile.

Tour of the Cat ($5.80) covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.30 over a fast track. He is trained by Myra Mora for the Double G Stables and was ridden by regular jockey Abad Cabassa Jr.

Mora said Tour of the Cat would likely make his next start in the $200,000 Carl Rose Classic, part of the Florida Million program on Nov. 15.

* Splasha rallied from far back to take the lead, then outlasted Sara's Success by a rapidly diminishing head to upset the $100,000 Shocker T. Handicap. Saintly Action, bet down to a surprising 4-5 despite making her first stakes appearance in two years, was never a factor and finished a badly beaten eighth.

Splasha, one of only two 3-year-old fillies in the Shocker T. lineup, returned $22.80. A daughter of Twining, she is trained by David Vivian for owner Douglas Gibson and was ridden to victory by Manny Aguilar. Her final time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:46.63.

Stormy Frolic set the early pace but was overtaken by Win's Fair Lady on the second turn. Splasha launched her rally near the inside leaving the backstretch, took command and drew well clear in midstretch.

* Wynn Dot Comma kept his perfect record intact with an easy four-length victory over Twice as Bad and eight other overmatched 3-year-olds in the $75,000 Birdonthewire Stakes.

Wynn Dot Comma has now won all four starts for owner Marty Cherry and trainer Marty Wolfson. He ran six furlongs in 1:11.05 and paid $3.

Wynn Dot Comma received a perfect trip under Bailey, stalking the early pace of Count Montbrook before drawing away in the stretch. Twice as Bad rallied mildly to best Super Cherokee by a head to finish second.

* Zak's Precocious took advantage of a suicidal early pace that helped soften even-money favorite Our Exploit, and rallied to a half-length victory over Alarkandadove in the $75,000 Cassidy Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. Julio Garcia rode Zak's Precocious for trainer Bill White. The winner paid $11.80 after covering six furlongs in 1:13.30.

Our Exploit and Usual Manner battled through an opening quarter of 21.31 seconds. Our Exploit edged clear in early stretch but at that point Zak's Precocious was in high gear, and he easily ran down the favorite at midstretch before holding off a final bid from Alarkandadove. Our Exploit tired badly through the final furlong and finished fifth.