Calder & Aqueduct Race Course Weekend Roundup
by Patricia Woo | Nov 16 2009
Last weekend, Calder and Aqueduct Race Courses hosted a slew of great horse races. On Saturday, Calder Race Course presented the "Florida Million," an eight-race program highlighting Florida-bred racehorses. And on Sunday, Aqueduct hosted the New York Stallion Series, a five-race showcase for horses sired by New York stallions. Bodog Racebook gets you up to speed on all the
horse racing action.
On Saturday, Nov. 14, Calder Race Course hosted the "Florida Million," a showcase of Florida-bred racehorses over eight races worth $1.2M. Races included the $200,000 Elmer Heubeck Distaff Handicap (won this year by 3-year-old Sweet Repent), the $150,000 Jack Dudley Sprint Handicap for 3-year-olds and up (won by Pashito the Che) and the $100,000 Arthur Appleton Juvenile Turf (won by Bim Bam in a record-setting victory).
But the highlight of the Florida Million card - one of the richest races of the meet - was the $200,000 Carl G. Rose Classic for 3-year-olds, with It's a Bird, Too Many Toyz and Dream Maestro among the top contenders for this 1 1/8-mile race. It's a Bird was sent off as the race favorite, having been one of the early contenders on the
Triple Crown trail after exploding onto the scene with his $1M Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes win at Gulfstream Park at the beginning of the year. But it was the Marty Wolfson-trained Too Many Toyz who would play spoiler. Six-year-old Too Many Toyz, with Julian Leparoux aboard, raced in his favorite position just off the pace behind It's a Bird. After six furlongs, Too Many Toyz made a thrilling move and managed to hold on to hit the wire first. Dream Maestro rounded out the top three finishers. This was Too Many Toyz's fourth straight victory in 11 career outings, and his first at a higher level of racing.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, Aqueduct hosted the New York Stallion , a five-race extravaganza for horses sired by New York stallions. The track was sloppy when 2-year-olds took to the dirt in the Great White Way Stakes, a 6-furlong race with a purse of $100,000. Saving ground by running along the rail, the duo of Make Note and Edgar Prado rallied to win in a time of 1:11.39 to claim his second ever stakes victory. Next, in the $75,000 Staten Island Stakes for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, Mother Russia and Ramon Dominguez led from gate to wire, winning the 7 furlong race in 1:24.34. The $75,000 Cormorant Division was moved from the turf to the main track because of rain, but Ruffino and jockey Rajivv Maragh weren't fazed, running down Pretty Boy Freud in the stretch of the 1-mile race. Muddy conditions prevailed again during the $100,000 Fifth Avenue Stakes for 2-year-old fillies but Maragh was again victorious, this time aboard Franny Freud, in a 5-length rout. In the final race of the card, the $75,000 Thunder Rumble Stakes for 3-year-olds and up, Dominguez again had the winning touch, guiding 3-year-old Uncle T Seven to a rallying win over Mr. Windjammer.
Don't miss out on any horse wagering opportunities! Bet on horse racing with the Bodog Racebook!
