Gulfstream Park Notes - Thursday, January, 1

Jan 1, 2009 - 7:20 PM www.gulfstreampark.com CALDER-BASED HORSEMEN WELL REPRESENTED IN GULFSTREAM STAKES Gulfstream Park offers three $100,000 stakes for their opening weekend and Calder-based horses will be among the choices in each of the three events -- $100,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes and $100,000 Hal's Hope Stakes (G3) on Saturday and $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (G3) on Sunday.

Four of the eight 3-year-olds entered in the six-furlong Spectacular Bid are stabled at Calder, including Kramer Stable's You Luckie Mann, who could rule the choice for trainer Marty Wolfson after winning the $100,000 Birdonthewire Stakes here last out on Oct. 18 by 11 lengths.

Hobeau Farm's 5-year-old gelding Delightful Kiss is among five of the 14 older horses entered in the one-mile Hal's Hope based at Calder, and will be among the favorites with Calvin Borel flying in to ride for trainer Pete Anderson in his first start since finishing second in the Clark Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28.

Wolfson sends out the solid favorite in the six-furlong Old Hat on Sunday with Dare To Dream Farm's homebred 3-year-old filly Frolic's Dream bidding to remain undefeated after winning her first three starts impressively here as the favorite in each. The roan/gray daughter of Smoke Glacken won the $100,000 Cassidy Stakes by 12.75 lengths on Oct. 18 and the $150,000 Joe O'Farrell Juvenile Fillies last out on Nov. 8 by 1.25 lengths. Plesa & White Tied in Tropical Trainers Title Chase Trainer Eddie Plesa, Jr. sent out Ralph Nabavi's 2-year-old Mike's Kong to capture the last race Wednesday at Calder Race Course to bring him back into a tie with Bill White for the lead for the Tropical Meet title at 17 wins apiece and two programs to go before closing on Friday. Plesa has won the Tropical Meet championship three times previously and White five times. Plesa will have a much better chance than White to claim the title with two runners entered on Thursday's New Year's Day card and White none. Plesa has two more going on Friday while White's only entrant is on an 'also-eligible' list. Jockey Manoel Cruz has sealed a third Tropical Meet riding title with 60 victories, 17 more than closest rival Elvis Trujillo second with 43 and Javier Santiago third with 37 tallies. Cruz won the Tropical championship in 2005 and again last year. Machismo Re-Surfaces in El Conejo at Santa Anita Three of the five older horses entered in today's $100,000 El Conejo Handicap (G3) at Santa Anita have Calder history with 5-year-old gelding Machismo making his California debut for new owners and trainer John Sadler after an impressive victory winning a 'three other than' allowance race here by 4.25 lengths on Oct. 31. The Florida-bred by Trippi was trained by Joe Calascibetta before the sale and had placed behind local sprint division leader Yesbyjimminy three times during the meet, once finishing second by a neck. Also in the El Conejo are Waterford Stable's 6-year-old In Summation, developed at Calder as a 2-year-old by the late Frank Gomez; and Wind River Stable's 5-year-old Black Seventeen, who shipped in from California for the 2007 Summit of Speed card to capture the $300,000 Carry Back Stakes (G2) for trainer Brian Koriner. Both In Summation and Black Seventeen have since won Grade I races.

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