Twin ATBA stakes a study in contrasts

PHOENIX, Ariz. - One race is wide open, the other looks like a coronation.

On Saturday, Turf Paradise runs two Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association Stakes. The male version, which goes as the sixth race on a 10-race card, is deep in contention. In the filly division, the eighth race, Fancy Prancer should confirm she is the best juvenile filly around.

Both races are for 2-year-olds who as yearlings were consigned to last year's ATBA fall sale. The male division lured a field of 12, and 10 entered the filly division. Both races are at six furlongs.

The male division is full of possibilities. Jetson, owned by John Pendergast and Joe Johnson and trained by Johnson, comes off a romping allowance win. A son of Society Max, Jetson drilled allowance foes by seven lengths at this distance and track in that race. He earned a 63 Beyer Speed Figure. He breaks from post 4 under jockey Steve Gomez.

But Jetson's Beyer Figure for his recent victory pales in comparison to the Beyer of 79 that Mister Party earned in a 12 1/2-length allowance win here Oct. 5. Trained by Dan Felipe, Mister Party had shipped to Turf Paradise off some decent maiden efforts in Southern California. Kelly Bridges rides Mister Party, the likely favorite.

Afoolandhismoney chased Jetson home as the 3-5 chalk last time and certainly could make amends for trainer Lyman Rollins. He has plenty of speed and gets off what has been a disadvantageous rail.

Meanwhile, Fancy Passer is a prohibitive favorite in the filly division. By Bertrando, she has won three of her four races. Her only loss came in a stakes race at Del Mar. In her other three starts, she won by 10 1/2, 5, and 7 1/4 lengths.

A victory here on Oct. 5, which came off nearly a three-month layoff, showed that Fancy Passer, trained by Greg Tracy, hasn't missed a beat. She leaves from post 7 under Steve Martinez.

Her main challenge figures to come from the unbeaten Calce Clunes. Trained by Roberta Grissom, Calce Clunes won at first asking at Santa Anita going two furlongs in March, then romped by nine at even-money at Turf Paradise off a long layoff on Oct. 5. Her 51 Beyer for that recent win was no great shakes, but she won geared down. Frank Gonsalves retains the call on Calce Clunes.

De Shay was second in her only start to Fancy Prancer here Oct. 5. She's a maiden facing winners, but she has some ability and her trainer, Kory Owens, isn't one to enter his runners overmatch. Leslie Mawing rides.