Gary Aiken’s
Callmethesqueeze and M E S Stable’s Battle of Love finished second and third,
respectively, last out in the $75,000 Crystal Rail Stakes on Aug. 20 at Calder
Casino & Race Course, a race forced off turf and run on a ‘good’ main
track, and the two 3-year-old fillies breezed Saturday morning for a probable
rematch in next Saturday’s $75,000 Judy’s Red Shoes Stakes, scheduled for 1
1/16 miles on turf.
Callmethesqueeze is
a daughter of Awesome Again trained by Manny Azpurua, Jr. and was timed a
half-mile in 49 1/5. She was beaten just a half-length by Farnsworth Stable’s
Nasty Rumor in the Crystal Rail and will likely face that rival again Saturday.
Battle of Love is a
daughter of A.P. Warrior trained by Henry Collazo and was the odds-on favorite
in the Crystal Rail after finishing first in five straight races at the meet,
although disqualified from one victory. She was timed five furlongs in
1:02 2/5 Saturday morning.
Also on the busy
Saturday morning work tab was Caroni Stable’s 3-year-old colt Oligarch with an
easy half-mile in 51 3/5 for trainer Rodolfo Garcia. The son of Congrats will
be a contender in the $75,000 Needles Stakes, companion event to the Judy’s Red
Shoes, after a sharp allowance victory over the Calder course on July 15.
Saez & Sano Coast Alone on Top of Calder
Standings
Although the Calder
Meet continues through September 30 before the Tropical Meet commences and runs
through Dec. 2, the trophies can be sent to the engraver anytime with jockey
Luis Saez and trainer Antonio Sano continuing to dominate the standings going
into the weekend.
Saez is the
defending Calder Meet champion as he out-finished veteran Manoel Cruz to win
the 2010 title 142-130, but leads his closest rival this season by more than 50
victories at 125-72 over Jose Alvarez. Fernando Jara has found his niche here
this summer currently ranked third in the standings with 67 wins, followed by
Juan Leyva fourth at 63, and Luis Jurado fifth with 49.
Leyva is on the road
Saturday as he will ride Pinnacle Racing and Bill Kaplan’s 4-year-old filly
Musical Romance in the $400,000 Presque Isla Masters (G2) at Presque Isle Downs
near Erie, Pa. Musical Romance has won three stakes at this Calder Meet and
finished second by a neck in the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) on Summit
of Speed day, July 9 in another top effort.
Sano is atop the
trainers’ leader board with 41 wins, 19 more than closest rival Bisnath Parboo
second with 22, although Sano has sent out more than twice the number of
starters (224-96). Sano is bidding for his first title here since arriving from
his native Venezuela where he had considerable success. Henry Collazo is third
in the standings with 21 tallies and Bill White and Joe Calascibetta are tied
for fourth with 20 apiece.