Several
of the likely choices in the rich stakes to be run on the $850,000 Festival
of the Sun program to be run at Calder Casino & Race Course on Sat.,
Oct. 15, turned in workouts Friday morning, led by Jacks or Better Farm’s
2-year-old homebred colt Fort Loudon, who will bid for a sweep of the three
‘open’ divisions of the Florida Stallion Stakes in the $300,000 In Reality
Division finale that afternoon.
Fort
Loudon was timed six furlongs in 1:13 2/5 for trainer Stanley Gold as he gets
ready for the 1 1/16 miles In Reality after sharp victories sprinting in the
$75,000 Dr. Fager and $125,000 Affirmed divisions of the FSS following a
10-length maiden tally in his fourth start.
A
son of Awesome of Course, Fort Loudon will attempt to become the third juvenile
in as many years to produce a sweep of the Stallion Stakes for Jacks or Better
homebreds and Gold, following Jackson Bend’s triple in the ‘open’ divisions in
2009 and Awesome Feather’s undefeated campaign that included the FSS sweep,
victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Eclipse Award
honors.
Jacks
or Better also is expected to be represented in the $300,000 My Dear Girl filly
division finale with a pair of homebreds, including Awesome Belle, also a
daughter of Awesome of Course, and she was timed three-quarters Friday morning
in 1:13 1/5. Awesome Belle finished third last out in the $125,000 Susan’s Girl
Division of the FSS on Aug.27 as her stablemate Redbud Road finished second by
a nose.
Harold
Queen’s 2-year-old homebred filly Queen Drama won the Susan’s Girl over Redbud
Road for trainer David Fawkes and she was timed an easy five furlongs in 1:03
3/5 Friday morning. The daughter of Burning Roma had finished second to Redbud
Road in the $75,000 Desert Vixen Division of the FSS in her previous start.
Also
prominent on the Friday morning work tab was Quantum Racing Team #1’s
6-year-old gelding Mambo Meister drilling a ‘bullet’ half-mile in 48 3/5 for
trainer Phil Gleaves as he prepares for his role as one of the favorites for
the $100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the Festival
day card.
A
son of King Cugat, Mambo Meister has been a ranking member of the handicap
division here for several seasons, winning multiple stakes on dirt and turf,
including a 3 ¾ lengths victory in the 2009 Spend a Buck, a performance that
earned him a chance in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Santa Anita when he
finished a close-up fifth.
A
winner of $630,000, Mambo Meister finished second to Motovato in the Spend a
Buck last fall and will bid to bounce back from an unfortunate trip to Saratoga
where he finished seventh behind star filly Havre de Grace last out in the
$750,000 Woodward Stakes (G1) on Sept. 3 while racing wide throughout.