Jacks
or Better Farms’ 2-year-old colt Fort Loudon and Harold Queen’s 2-year-old
filly Queen Drama won the $125,000 Affirmed and $125,000 Susan’s Girl divisions
of the Florida Stallion Stakes at seven furlongs, respectively, last out on Juvenile
Showcase day, Aug. 27, at Calder Casino & Race Course, and both posted
workouts Sunday morning.
Fort
Loudon was timed a mile in 1:42 3/5 for trainer Stanley Gold and will bid for a
sweep of the three ‘open’ divisions of the FSS in the $300,000 In Reality
Division finale at 1 1/16 miles on Festival of the Sun day, Sat., Oct.
15. A Florida homebred by Awesome of Course, Fort Loudon won the Affirmed by
two lengths following a 1 ¼ lengths victory in the $75,000 Dr. Fager Division
on Aug. 6.
Gold
also had Jacks or Better’s homebred filly Awesome Belle out to breeze five
furlongs in 1:02 as she is being pointed for the $300,000 My Dear Girl Division
finale at 1 1/16 miles on Festival day. She too is by Awesome of Course
and finished third last out in the Susan’s Girl won by Queen Drama with Jacks
or Better’s Redbud Road second, the latter also on target for the My Dear Girl.
Coincidentally,
Sunday morning, former Jacks or Better star Awesome Feather worked five
furlongs in 1:00 2/5 at Belmont Park for trainer Chad Brown as the 3-year-old
daughter of Awesome of Course appears near her first start since winning the $2
million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 to
complete and undefeated Eclipse championship campaign.
Awesome
Feather won her first five races at Calder for Jacks or Better and Gold,
including a sweep of the three filly divisions of the FSS series, winning the
My Dear Girl by 8 ¼ lengths before a 2 ¼ lengths victory in the Breeders’ Cup.
She was sold days two later at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sales to
Frank Stronach for $2.3 million, but her return was delayed by tendon issues.
Jacks
or Better will have two contenders in the My Dear Girl with Redbud Road and
Awesome Belle and likely two as well in the In Reality with Fort Loudon and
stablemate Argentine Tango, a homebred son of Black Mambo that finished second
to his Fort Loudon in both the Dr. Fager and Affirmed. Jacks or Better and Gold
swept the three ‘open divisions of the FSS series in 2009 with Jackson Bend.
Queen
Drama worked a sharp half-mile in 48 4/5 Sunday morning for trainer David
Fawkes as she remains on target for the My Dear Girl. The Florida homebred by
Burning Roma is a half-sister to Queen’s 2010 Eclipse champion sprinter and
Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) hero Big Drama, now a 5-year-old, and full-sister to
3-year-old stakes-winning gelding Little Drama.
Queen
Drama finished second to Redbud Road in the $75,000 Desert Vixen Division of
the FSS at six furlongs on Aug. 6 and then reversed that result with a nose
victory in the Susan’s Girl on Juvenile Showcase day.
The
Fawkes stable had a very good day at Calder on Saturday’s Festival Preview
program as Queen’s 2-year-old colt Burning Time won the $100,000 Foolish
Pleasure Stakes at one mile and 70 yards, earning the son of Burning Roma a
chance in the In Reality, and winning the companion event, the $100,000 Brave
Raj Stakes with Alex Lieblong’s 2-year-old filly Conway Two Step.
Conway
Two Step will now join Queen Drama in the gate for a Fawkes’ double-threat in
the My Dear Girl. While Fawkes’ wife and top assistant Celia directed the
team’s runners at Calder, David was in West Virginia Saturday to run Queen’s
3-year-old filly Hot Summer in the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks at 10:30 p.m. The
daughter of Malibu Moon finished fourth, beaten a neck for third.
Winning
the other two stakes on Saturday’s Festival Preview program were Leo
Azpurua Jr. and Sr.’s 3-year-old colt Manicero capturing the $75,000 Needles
Stakes in his first start on turf and Gary Aiken’s 3-year-old filly
Callmethesqueeze the companion $75,000 Judy’s Red Shoes Stakes to remain
perfect in three starts on turf for trainer Manny Azpurua, uncle of trainer Leo
Azpurua, Jr.
Manicero
can come back in the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby to be run on Festival
day, Oct. 15, and Callmethesqueeze in the $75,000 France A. Genter Stakes that
afternoon. In addition to the In Reality, My Dear Girl, Tropical Park Derby and
Frances A. Genter, the Festival day stakes line-up will include the
$100,000 Spend a Buck Handicap (G3) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/16 miles.